Black Lives in Alaska: Journey, Justice, Joy

On view April 30 - nov. 2021, Atrium

Generations before statehood and earlier even than the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s, Black men and women arrived in Alaska and have since participated in politics, economic development and culture. They patrolled the seas, built the roads, served in the military and public life, opened businesses, fought injustice, created art and forged communities. This exhibition, told through archival photos and ephemera, showcases the richness and resilience of Black lives in Alaska.

Image: Young people in front of a sign for the NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) in Anchorage, 1981. Photo courtesy of Ed Wesley.