Great Blacks In Wax

April 12, 2016 9:57 AM

“African American history’s been smoothed out. You lose focus of how it was, how cruel. But this is the most impacting museum I’ve ever been to. It’s amazing, it’s face-to-face, like reading Nat Turner’s Rebellion—though that was written by a white man.” How a museum in Baltimore shapes African American history—in wax.
posted by capnsue (6 comments total)

Powerful. I hope white schools are taking their kids to this museum.
posted by MovableBookLady at 10:16 AM on April 12, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Rise of Charm City (a new radio show/podcast on Baltimore) did an episode on the Great Blacks in Wax Museum that's worth a listen.
posted by EvaDestruction at 11:27 AM on April 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wow. I need to see this next time I'm in Baltimore.
posted by Deoridhe at 8:20 PM on April 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Refreshing Baltimore-tagged post.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:14 AM on April 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thanks for making me aware of this museum. We'll definitely be making a trip to Baltimore soon!
posted by PlantGoddess at 7:20 AM on April 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Huh. I wonder when they added the drug and murder section. I don't remember that at all (and I've got to say I remember Great Blacks in Wax a lot better than the aquarium trips my grandparents also took us on). One neat time when I was a teenager our guide was also a teenager, presumably part of the YouthWorks. I was excited to talk to someone my age, but unfortunately our accents were mutually unintelligible. My grandmother ended up translating for us. (She wasn't from Baltimore originally, but had lived there long enough to understand everybody. I've got a West Coast accent and apparently talk fast.) Still cool having a young guide and it was an interesting experience.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:21 AM on April 13, 2016 [1 favorite]