W.E.B. DuBois’ “The Exhibit of American Negroes”

It was shown at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris. Through my revision of articles written by Calloway in the African American newspaper, ‘The Colored American’ his the exhibit was made to show progress post emancipation and a need to show people with African ancestry as capable, intelligent, worthy of citizenship, and respect. Ultimately this exhibition aimed to combat incredible stigma lived under white supremacy.

Du Bois describes the exhibition as “Thirty-two charts, 500 photographs, and numerous maps and plans form the basis of this exhibit. The charts are in two sets, one illustrating conditions in the entire United States and the other conditions in the typical State of Georgia”. (in 1860)

Hand drawn illustrations

The story behind this data narrative is the need to show the world that the conceptions around race, especially concerning the inferiority of darker skinned and formerly enslaved peoples are simply wrong.