Thrift stores across the nation receive donations every day. Some of them have not aged well — Mammy salt shakers from the Jim Crow era or a feathered headband made for an "Indian costume."
Should thrift stores throw out these objects or sell them? That question is at the heart of the Sorting Out Race exhibit that recently arrived at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid.
Curator Amy Johnson-Cranfield said she first learned about the exhibit several years ago and decided to bring it to northwest Oklahoma to get the community thinking about objects that may be in their own homes or those of others nearby.
"I'm always looking for things that I can put in that temp gallery that aren't part of the normal Land Run narrative, things that are pertinent to today and kind of make you think," Johnson-Cranfield said.
Past exhibits displayed in the temporary gallery ranged from whimsical and fun to more solemn and confronting, Johnson-Cranfield said, and changed out about two to three times a year.
The Sorting Out Race exhibit came at a perfect time, Johnson-Cranfield said. Notably, since President Donald Trump took office in his second term, his administration has targeted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. The Trump Administration has also worked to shift historical narratives to promote America's greatness, not "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living," evident in Executive Order: Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.
"I think it's more important now than ever to speak out, to stand up," Johnson-Cranfield said. "Not because of what you get out of it, but because it's simply the right thing to do."
Throughout the exhibit are objects from varying decades as well as questions and reflection prompts. Among some questions are: What is racism, how do racial stereotypes perpetuate systems of dominance and privilege, and where do we go from here?
Jody Turner is a 68-year-old Enid resident and a volunteer at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center. Walking through Sorting Out Race made her reconsider her experiences growing up and whether they would be considered harmful or inconsiderate today.
"I was born on Okinawa," Turner said. "My dad was in the military. …so if I wear a kimono and eat [with] chopsticks, is that appropriation or is that me appreciating a culture that I've experienced? And where's the line?"
One object that stood out to her in particular was a vinyl record of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, best known for mariachi-influenced songs such as "A Taste of Honey." Alpert was an American born in California, raised by parents who immigrated from Ukraine and Romania.
"My dad had every album that they put out," Turner said. "[Alpert] wasn't from Mexico. He had nothing with it."
The exhibit began more than a decade ago at the Kauffman Museum at Bethel College in Kansas and won the 2018 Leadership in History from the American Association of State and Local History. Since making its debut, it has traveled across the country to states such as Louisiana and Utah.
It will close on Oct. 30 at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid, which is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Museum Director CJ Budy said a good time to check out the exhibit and learn more about the cultures in the community is during the Family Farm Day on Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program will feature activities and demonstrations, including masa and tamale making by Garfield County Hispanic Coalition and Sidwell Distribution, fry bread making by the Kaw Nation, among others.
More information about the Sorting Out Race exhibit and Family Farm Day is available on the museum's website.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
