Hidden in Plain Sight – The Kinsey Collection Uncovers America’s Erased Black History at the Houston Holocaust Museum

IIn 1945, black soldiers from the 761st Battalion encountered a pile of corpses in a Buchenwald concentration camp. As they faced the aftermath of the Holocaust, their despondency and helplessness were captured in black and white photography. This photograph is now on display in the Holocaust Museum Houston’s exhibition featuring the Kinsey Collection, which runs through June 23.

The photograph tells the story of the legendary 761st Tank Battalion, also known as the Black Panthers. They fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and liberated 30 towns and at least one concentration camp – Gunskirchen in Austria. Their motto: “Come out fighting!” » captures the tireless spirit and excellence of these soldiers.

In addition to this historic image, the exhibit includes more than 100 historical documents, artifacts and works of art.

Chronicle of the human experience

The new exhibition continues the tradition of the Holocaust Museum’s previous presentations, each addressing various facets of the human condition. Prior to this exhibit, the museum hosted “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” which explored the Jim Crow phenomenon of systemic racism faced by black motorists across the country. Other exhibits featured the stories of Syrian refugees, the Armenian genocide, Nelson Mandela and the Holodomor (famine) in Ukraine in the 1930s.

The current exhibition was inspired by objects owned by the Kinsey family, which includes curator Khalil Kinsey and his parents as well as collection co-founders Bernard and Shirley Kinsey. They have maintained an extensive collection dedicated to African American history and art for decades.

The gateway to the transatlantic slave trade

Upon entering the space, visitors encounter two wooden doors. These artifacts, known as the “Doors of No Return,” come from Cape Coast Castle in Elmina, Ghana. They are poignant relics of the transatlantic slave trade as well as reminders of the harsh realities faced by slaves leaving Africa.

“The castle gates lead to a section that highlights the scale of the transatlantic slave trade from the 1500s to the 1800s,” says Khalil.. “It’s a really visceral experience. I don’t think people realize how extreme and brutal the slavery trade was.

“It just puts things into perspective. It is mind-boggling to think that millions of human beings are being trafficked and exploited in this way.

“It is also important to respect, honor and understand that this is a human story. Each of our stories is a human story and it is important that we know it.

“The more we do this, the more we come together and understand that we are together in this life and in this world.”

As the exhibit shows, the transatlantic slave trade included 12,000 ships and 40,000 voyages, trafficking a total of 15 million people. Of these, 452,000 people were brought to what is now the United States.

Honoring Historical Figures Through Artifacts

In addition to providing an overview of the history of slavery, the Kinsey Collection exhibit includes a wide range of historical objects.

Notable 18th-century artifacts on display are Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography from 1789 and Benjamin Banneker’s Almanac from 1795. Afro-Mexican President Vicente Ramón Guerrero’s 1829 manifesto is also on display. Ramón Guerrero was Mexico’s second president and the manifesto is a rare example of prominent Afro-Mexican leadership.

Additionally, the exhibition features an 1834 British Parliament document commemorating the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean (Jamaica).

The collection also highlights historical figures such as Phillis Wheatley, early black congressional leaders, the Tuskeegee Airmen and Marcus Garvey through their artifacts.

Khalil, whose wife Lisa is of Russian Jewish descent, speaks enthusiastically about Julius Rosenwald, a lesser-known figure in American history featured in the exhibit.

“Julius Rosenwald was a Jewish businessman and philanthropist in the early 1900s,” Khalil explains. “He worked with Booker T. Washington and built schools for black youth throughout the South.” Rosenwald is estimated to have helped establish approximately 5,000 such schools.

“He also had a foundation that supported artists, but mainly black artists,” notes Khalil. “So many artists were part of the Harlem Renaissance.”

Hidden Gems of Black Art History

While the Kinsey Collection is renowned for its historical significance, it also highlights the Kinseys’ deep appreciation for art. A triptych of family portraits by Mikel Alatza, adorning the exhibition entrance with elements of photorealism, illustrates this blend of historical preservation and artistic celebration.

The exhibition prominently features rarely seen works by 19th-century black landscape painters like Edward Mitchell Bannister and Robert Scott Duncanson. It also features multi-generational female artists such as Lois Mailou Jones, Elizabeth Catlett and Bisa Butler, spanning different artistic eras.

The collection further features black artists who made significant contributions to abstract expressionism, including Norman Lewis and Alma Thomas. The section on abstract artists highlights Sam Gilliam, known for his association with Color Field Painting and the Washington Color School. His works of art with assertive contours Untitled (c. 1970), a vibrant creation in watercolor, acrylic and aluminum on Japanese paper, represents a break from traditional movements.

“I’m a big fan of abstraction,” says Khalil.

Houston artists are also celebrated in The Kinsey Collection exhibition.

“When we organize an exhibition, it is very intentional to be able to identify the artists of the place where the exhibition is held,” explains Khalil. “The fact that we’re showing John Biggers, Floyd Newsum and Ava Cosey is very intentional.”

The Kinsey Collection: A Vital American Story

In a speech at the Congregation Emanu El synagogue on Friday after the show opened, Bernard shared enlightening wisdom and philosophies.

He also discussed the lesser-known friendship between physicist Albert Einstein and opera singer Marian Anderson. As Bernard noted, Einstein offered Anderson a place to stay when Anderson was refused a hotel room in Princeton, New Jersey due to racial discrimination in 1937.

“We practice two simple principles,” explains Bernard. “The first principle is that facts matter. The second principle is the concept of Learn, Use, Teach.

Explaining a different approach to classism, Bernard notes: “The measure of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. But, quite simply, we provide enough resources to those who have too few.”

Reflecting on the overall message of the exhibition, Khalil views the Kinsey collection as a storytelling vehicle capable of spreading important stories.

“It’s actually one of the most vital stories in American history,” Bernard says. “Our existence is the foundation of this American process and continues to be so.

“We are the litmus test for the viability of democracy and American ideals in many ways. »

The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection is on display through June 23 at the Holocaust Museum in Houston. For more information, visit the Holocaust Museum Houston website.