On Sunday, Jan. 14, the San Bernardino County Museum partnered with Power of the Press: Black Voice News @ 50 exhibit curators Hardy Brown II and Paulette Brown-Hinds for an exhibit talk that included a discussion about the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“The reason why we developed the talk during Martin Luther King’s birthday weekend was because we wanted to have a larger conversation about civil rights and we wanted to tie it together with good people who chose their rights in the industry, who worked throughout history to get us to this place,” said Black Voice News Archivist Hardy Brown II. “We recognized that we stand on the shoulders of people that have opened doors for us, and so each one of those people who have opened the door for us, we try to tell their story through our newspaper.”
“As I was going through the archives, going through all our parents’ papers, I realized something, that the story is not about us, it’s about every person that made it in the Inland Empire,” Brown said. “Each one of our cities, our government leaders, our people who are elected, our schools, our community groups who wrote press releases, our churches who wrote press releases to come into our newspaper – That’s where the story is! It’s each one of them and their story. So, we’re proud to present this to the community during MLK weekend because it’s a much bigger story than just civil rights, it’s the story of us.”
The exhibit highlights not only the organization’s work as local government watchdogs but as recorders of Black life in the Inland Empire, including profiles of leaders making a difference in communities across the region, coverage of community events, mapping community assets, and reporting on the fight for social justice and racial equity. The exhibit officially closes Sunday, March 3.
The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under are admitted free. Museum Association members receive a 50% discount. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.
The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.