Big Rapids, Michigan – MidWest Fine Art Service and Transportation Co. LLC recently moved the exhibition Hateful Things from Ferris State University to Virginia State University. The exhibition is part of celebrations planned for Black History month at Virginia State and opens Monday, Feb. 11 and will be returned to the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State after a two week run.

The 39-piece, traveling exhibition contains pictures, signs and items from the late 19th century to the present that embody the terrible effects of Jim Crow. The disturbing objects in Hateful Things give viewers a glimpse of past and present-day images of racial stereotyping and stimulate the examination of historical and contemporary expressions of racism, as a means to promote racial understanding and healing. “By using this art exhibit to look at a small slice of history, we hope to stir emotions in the human spirit to create a positive dialogue about issues of race, class, gender, and education,” said David Bejou, Dean of the School of Business at VSU.

In addition to items from popular and commercial culture, the traveling exhibit also contains images of violence against African-Americans as well as the Civil Rights struggle for racial equality. “The exhibit and its dark images serve as historical reminders to empower not just the VSU student body, but also the surrounding central Virginia community,” said Dr. Wesley Hogan, Co-Director of the Institute for the Study of Race Relations (ISRR). “By hosting this exhibit, Virginia State University and its academic resources are working together to promote a greater understanding of race and race relations while also effectively addressing the historical consequences of Jim Crow.” Images from the exhibition can be viewed at www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/traveling/grid.