|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
January 5, 2006Dennos features diversityTraveling U-M exhibit opens Saturday
A new exhibit at Dennos Museum Center features photos and other materials depicting both sides of the two historic affirmative action lawsuits against the University of Michigan. The exhibit opens Saturday.
"A Case About Diversity: The Affirmative Action Lawsuits at the University of Michigan" was created by students from the Museum Studies Program and the School of Art & Design at U of M. It's a traveling exhibit that features photo images, along with extensive supporting materials designed to present both sides of the two historic affirmative action lawsuits brought against the university that led to important U.S. Supreme Court decisions. One case was filed by two undergraduate applicants and the other by a law school applicant, all maintaining they were discriminated against because the university considers race as one of many factors in the admissions process. In both cases, the Supreme Court upheld the idea that colleges and universities can consider race as a factor in admissions, though it found fault with the procedure used in the undergraduate system. As a result, the university has changed the way it evaluates undergraduate applications. The exhibit's panels depict the history of diversity that led to the cases and actions that have been taken by U of M to expand diversity on campus. Eugene Jenneman, Dennos Museum Center director, said the traveling exhibit was brought to his attention by Jayne Mohr, associate superintendent of the Traverse City Area Public Schools. "David Lossing, associate director of the U of M State Outreach office, contacted the superintendent and me during the summer and shared with us what the exhibit is about," Mohr said, "and it really is a history of affirmative action U.S.-wide. "The concepts that are covered within the exhibit would be discrimination, prejudice, stereotyping, equal opportunity and affirmative action." Mohr thought the museum would make for a better venue than a school and contacted Jenneman. "She had expressed interest in having it come here because apparently U of M has built a curriculum around this for high schools," Jenneman said. "Also given that it's January and Martin Luther King's birthday, it seemed like something that would be appropriate for us to bring in within the context of the college and to look at and make this available to the community as an exhibition to explore this issue, which of course has been a matter of some newsworthiness for a number of years." Most Dennos Museum exhibits revolve around art, which also can be educational and are often offered with supporting workshops and seminars. Still, Jenneman said being part of the college lends itself to hosting purely educational shows like this one when the opportunity arises. "It's not an exhibition that would normally fit with the programming work we do here," Jenneman said. "It was an opportunity that came about where I thought we had something we could offer that would be of relevance to our college community and yet have some public interest." For that reason, he enlisted NMC Diversity Services Coordinator Lisa Blackford's involvement. "We hope to engage college-bound students and our own NMC students who will be transferring to four-year schools on this important topic of relevance to their college experience," Blackford said. In addition, Mohr said the school district's librarians and teachers will have access to curriculum guides that accompany the exhibit and make it possible to tie into classroom instruction. "We are one of nine cities in Michigan - the city the most northern - to get this exhibit, and I really believe that it will be of interest to our community in general, and to students as well," Mohr said. The show opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 25. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $4 adults, $2 children and free to museum members. For more information, call 995-1055 or visit www.dennosmuseum.org. Additional details about the exhibit are at www.umich.edu/pres/aate/.
|
|
