Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 3-24-17

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The Kinsey Collection: The Largest Exhibit Of African-American History Is Now Global
Khalil Kinsey, left, poses with his parents, Shirley and Bernard Kinsey, next to artwork displayed at The Kinsey Collection exhibit at the American Adventure pavilion in Walt Disney World’s Epcot Park. The Kinseys began their extensive col- lection of African-American artifacts more than 30 years ago to teach their son about their family’s history. It has been featured in museums all over the United States, including the Smithsonian Institute, and is scheduled to debut in Paris next year.
The Kinsey Collection founder Bernard Kinsey, right, talks with students from the 2017 Class of the Disney Dreamers Academy. Kinsey and his wife, Shirley, began their extensive collection of African-American artifacts more than 30 years ago to teach their son about their family’s history.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
One of the largest and most popular exhibits of African-American history in the country is now global.
The Kinsey Collection – born from the personal stash of Florida natives Bernard and Shirley Kinsey – recently closed its first international showing in Hong Kong, China and is set to open in Paris, France within the next year.
Khalil Kinsey, the son of Bernard and Shirley and the general manager of the collection, said the col- lection was received warmly overseas during its showing
last month. An estimated 6 million people filed through the University of Hong Kong Museum and Gallery to see the exhibit, which was hon- ored with a specially com- posed song by the Hong Kong Symphonic Orchestra.
“It truly was overwhelm- ing,” he said. “I talked to so many people who said they could relate to it.”
Since 2005, artifacts and artwork from the award- winning Kinsey Collection has been featured in muse- ums and galleries through- out the United States, including the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Balti- more, the Atlanta History Center, and San Francisco’s
Museum of the African Di- aspora.
Since 2013, the collec- tion has been displayed at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Park where visitors can see a printing of Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, Benjamin Banneker’s 1796 almanac, and a sched- ule–orcensus–of500 slaves from 1820.
The exhibit at the Amer- ican Adventure pavilion spans more than 400 years of African- American history and reflects the themes of hope, courage, belief, imag- ination, and heritage. Josiah Walls, the first black elected to Congress from Florida, is highlighted
in the display.
The exhibit made a great
impression on Elois Han- nah, 16, who had the chance to see the collection during a recent visit to Epcot as a member of the Disney Dreamers Academy, a mentoring program for high school students.
“It was really beautiful,” said Elois, a Tampa resi- dent. “And it tells the story in a generalized way so that young people, we can all un- derstand everything.”
The Kinseys – gradu- ates of Florida A&M Univer- sity – started gathering books, artwork, and docu- ments for their collection more than 30 years ago to
help Khalil learn more about his family’s history.
Nowadays, the collection is bringing the story of African-American achieve- ment and contribution to all corners of the globe.
Future exhibits are scheduled to open in Sep- tember in Richmond, Va., and in October in Cincin- nati, Ohio.
The story of the tri- umphs and tragedies of the African American is one that translates well across cul- tures and languages, Khalil said.
“It’s a human story first,” he said. “People can find threads no matter what their experience has been.”
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017