APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – A traveling exhibit stopped by Appleton’s History Museum at the Castle during Black History Month to shed light on Fox Valley history that often goes untold in schools.
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The Stone of Hope exhibit explores the history of Black residents across the Fox Cities, dating back from the 1800’s to the modern era. Executive Director Dustin Mack says this history can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s crucial to discuss.
“History isn’t always a celebration,” Mack said. “If we look at our past mistakes and erase and ignore what happened before us, problems come from that.”
This history dates back to before and even after the Civil War; however, in the early 1900s, Mack says the Black community was unwelcome in Appleton.
“Appleton became a sundown town, which meant people who were black or not white weren’t welcome here after dark,” Mack said.
Racial tensions left many Black families unable to call Appleton home by the 1920s, and the Stone of Hope exhibit is trying to bring these stories, often untold, to the forefront, especially in Black History Month.
“We wanted to share this history with people to let them know that we do remember and recognize that they were part of this community,” Mack said. “The number one thing we hear from people is that ‘we didn’t know,’ they didn’t know it existed.”
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By showing this history, Mack says it’s a way to better understand the present, emphasizing the importance of remembering the past so that people learn from it, instead of forgetting it.
The pop-up exhibit is a partnership with African Heritage Incorporated.
