Final Stop of Illinois Humanities’ Illinois Freedom Project Tour Opens at the African-American Museum of Southern Illinois
Illinois Humanities is excited to announce that the African American Museum of Southern Illinois will host the final tour stop of the Illinois Freedom Project, a traveling exhibition that examines the pursuit of civil rights by and for African Americans in Illinois. The exhibit opens on February 12, during Black History Month, and will be at the museum at 1237 E Main St, Carbondale, IL through March 19.
The Illinois Freedom Project exhibition is an outgrowth of an educational program that engages young people with African American history in Illinois. The exhibition traces Black Illinoisans’ struggles for freedom from the French Colonial era to early-20th-century Chicago. Tim Townsend, a historian with the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield and one of the coordinators of the Illinois Freedom Project, comments, “The Illinois Freedom Project provides a glimpse into the struggles and victories of African Americans in Illinois.”
The exhibition is touring the state in conjunction with Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, the latest Museum on Main Street exhibit from the Smithsonian which highlights America’s history of civic action and results of that action. Voices and Votes: Democracy in America opens at its final stop on February 12, at the General John A. Logan Museum, Murphysboro.
EXHIBITION SCHEDULE* // View exhibitions map here.
Illinois Freedom Project
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July 17 – August 21, 2021: Wood River Museum, Wood River
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August 28 – October 2, 2021: Bryan-Bennett Library, Salem
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October 9 – November 13, 2021: York Township Public Library, Thomson
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November 20 – December 18, 2021: Old School Museum, Winchester
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January 3 – February 5, 2022: Vespasian Warner Public Library District, Clinton
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February 12 – March 19, 2022: African American Museum of Southern Illinois, Carbondale
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America:
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July 19 – August 21, 2021: Madison County Historical Society, Edwardsville
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August 28 – October 2, 2021: Bryan-Bennett Library, Salem
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October 9 – November 13, 2021: Savanna Museum and Cultural Center, Savanna
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November 20 – December 23, 2021: Jacksonville Area Museum, Jacksonville
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January 3 – February 5, 2022: Vespasian Warner Public Library District, Clinton
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February 12 – March 19, 2022: General John A. Logan Museum, Murphysboro
*Please consult host organizations’ websites to confirm schedules.
Illinois Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities,
is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. We provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration. Founded in 1974, Illinois Humanities is supported by state, federal, and private funds. Learn more about Illinois Humanities at ilhumanities.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ILHumanities.
