Time of Change: Documenting the Struggle for Civil Rights Exhibit

• View the Time of Change: Documenting the Struggle for Civil RightsTraveling Exhibit

In 2018, Ferris State University's Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery received an anonymous gift of 372 original historical images by renowned photographer Bruce Davidson. He is acclaimed for his photographs of the civil rights movement, where he offered a powerful window into the daily, at times heroic, fight for racial equality in this defining period in United States history. 

As a participant and an observer in this struggle for racial equality, Davidson used his camera to chronicle the demonstrations, the protests, the aftermath of the bombings, and the social and political upheaval that changed this nation. During four turbulent and violent years, 1961-65, he captured a tense, divided nation in scenes that range from defiant struggles to tender moments among those disfavored and marginalized because of their dark skin. 

The Time of Change: Documenting the Struggle for Civil Rights exhibit juxtaposes the Bruce Davidson photographs documenting the civil rights fight of the 1960s with contemporary photography chronicling the Black Lives Matter movement. 

The Exhibition

Time of Change: Documenting the Struggle for Civil Rights exhibition presents 30 photographs by Davidson that capture the struggle for justice and equality during a time of Freedom Rides, protests, marches, and police violence. The exhibit also includes 15 photographs by recent photographers taken at Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in New York City, New York; Los Angeles, California; Cleveland, Ohio; Selma, Alabama; Big Rapids, Michigan; and Amsterdam, Holland. The images capture a fierce commitment to confronting racial injustice and repairing this world through activism. 

The exhibition, Time of Change: Documenting the Struggle for Civil Rights is made possible by a grant from the Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. These original Bruce Davidson images were a gift from an anonymous donor to the Jim Crow Museum.

Exhibition and Museum Contacts

For information on booking Traveling Exhibits, including scheduling and hosting costs, contact Lisa Kemmis at [email protected] or (231) 591-5873.

Exhibition includes:

• 45 Framed pieces
• 6 Didactic Panels

Installation requirements:

• Minimum linear wall space of 100 feet
• Proper lighting and security

• Museum staff members do not travel with the exhibition. Sponsoring institutions must provide qualified persons to unpack, install, and re-pack the exhibition. Unless specified, hanging structures or other exhibit furniture is not provided with the exhibition.

Exhibition period:

• Minimum 1 week
• Maximum 6 months

Host institution fees

• A $1,000 non-refundable deposit to book the exhibit is required. Reservations for the exhibit are on a first come, first served basis. An invoice for the reservation fee will be sent immediately following the booking.
• The rental fee is $1,500 per week. Upon receipt of the reservation fee, the museum will send a Traveling Exhibition Service Contract that must be completed and signed, along with an invoice for the rental fee. This fee must be paid in full prior to the exhibition being shipped.
• All shipping costs. The sponsoring institution is responsible for arranging and paying the cost for transporting the exhibition from and returning it to Ferris State University. A professional shipping company must be used; trucks must be equipped with a power lift gate (preferred) or a ramp (at minimum). A climate controlled truck is required for shipments over one hour away from Big Rapids, Michigan. A minimum one week period is allowed on each side of the scheduled exhibition dates for shipping/pick-up and return; there is no charge for this period.
• Insurance covering the exhibition during shipping to and from the sponsoring institution as well as during the exhibition period is required. A complete inventory list with total value of the exhibition will be sent with the Traveling Exhibition Service Contract. A certificate of insurance is required to be on file with the museum prior to shipping.