The Black History 101 Mobile Museum provided Eastern Michigan University students and visitors a chance to celebrate the contributions, achievements and experiences of African Americans.
Khalid el-Hakim, a Detroiter and graduate from Ferris State University, is the founder and curator of the mobile museum containing more than 3,000 African American artifacts.
“Jim Crow artifacts were the first ones I collected,” el-Hakim said. “The Jim Crow slave character represents a very powerful and emotional image.”
Ninety-nine percent of the artifacts in the mobile museum el-Hakim purchased himself. His favorite artifact is currently one of the original pages of a Playboy interview with Malcolm X, which includes Malcolm X’s signature.
“It is great to be reminded of the history with all these rare artifacts of African American history,” said Ashley Reynolds, a senior at EMU and a member of Student Government.
Reynolds had favorite artifacts.
“The Jet magazines with Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge on the covers,” she said.
The mobile museum exhibit included other artifacts such as a Ku Klux Klan hood, autographed letters by Booker T. Washington, pictures of hangings, comic book cover of Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, Ku Klux Klan business cards, Elijah Muhammad memorabilia and many objects celebrating the legacy of Malcolm X.
“Some of the artifacts were kind of shocking; bringing to light some of the past history with photos of hangings and slavery artifacts,” EMU senior Jamar Fouche said. “It seems unbelievable, but in reality it was not that long ago.”
This innovative, traveling, table-top exhibit depicting black memorabilia spans in subjects from slavery to Hip Hop. It also had special guest Fred Hampton Jr. talk about black history and answer questions.
Fred Hampton Jr. of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee, is the son of assassinated Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton.
Hampton Jr. began with one of his dad’s sayings.
“I do a lot of talking because there are no foregone conclusions,” Hampton said.
“I use brutal terms for brutal realities,” Hampton Jr. said as he shared his opinion on his father’s death.
“Chairman Fred [Hampton] and Defense Captain Mark Clark, were assassinated on Dec. 4th, 1969,” Hampton Jr. said. “My first contact with the law enforcement was a gun barrel pressed against my mom’s stomach [she was 8 months pregnant at the time] during the assassination.”
Khalid el-Hakim first met Fred Hampton Jr. in 2001 at the Republic of New Africa convention, and admired his activism.
“Everything is political,” Hampton Jr. restated throughout his talk. “Things don’t just happen. … a movement happens to change our lives.”
His talk received several interruptions for applause and praise by audience members, and the discussion included current subjects like the revolution in Egypt as well as crime in Chicago and Detroit.
“America’s policy is to create chaos, and then conquer,” Hampton Jr. said. “All we [POCC] do is expose the contradictions.”
“Drugs are flooded in certain communities,” Hampton said, while pointing out a specific problem he sees in America. “One of the tactics of the system is to force us into absolutes.”
Hampton Jr. implored the crowd to Google the information he brought up during his talk, and he made sure to answer every audience member’s question.
“Behavior is affected by consequences. … People get involved in a struggle in three ways— inspiration, aspiration, and desperation,” Hampton Jr. said.
“Overall it was a good and powerful talk,” Herbert Caesar III, a freshman at EMU said. “He always gave examples and elaborated on the questions.”
The snow storm Feb. 2 almost derailed the Black History 101 Mobile Museum’s first trip to EMU.
“Luckily, Feb. 15th worked out for everyone,” said Charnessa Paige, Program Coordinator for EMU’s Center for Multicultural Affairs. “This event is important because you can get stuck on the past. History is always being made.”
The mobile museum’s national tour will wind through several other states including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin and South Carolina.
“Students will hopefully walk away with a sense that there is an excellence laid down by our African American ancestors,” el-Hakim said.
“People are uneducated on the pain of racism,” said Mudd Spezz, who helps Khalid with the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, and is a member of the Detroit music group 5ELA. “The oppressors don’t have hoods now, they have badges and law degrees.”
“This stuff needs to get talked about, not just in February,” EMU junior Jaimar Scott said.
This was part of a series of events sponsored by (313) Detroit Urban Renewal and Center for Multicultural Affairs. Two more events will take place next week.
