Outer Experiences: Black Life in Rural and Suburban Minnesota
In partnership with The African American Interpretive Center of Minnesota (AAICM), the M is proud to present Outer Experiences: Black Life in Rural and Suburban Minnesota, on display in the M’s window galleries on Robert and 4th Streets, opening Thursday, February 25, 2021.
The exhibition, curated by AAICM Executive Director JoJo Bell, explores the experience of being Black outside of the Twin Cities. Drawing from AAICM’s archives and oral history project, it features photographs by Chris McDuffie alongside excerpts from interviews with Black Minnesotans who had formative experiences in rural or suburban parts of the state. Outer Experiences amplifies the voices of Black Minnesotans and the underrepresented histories that connect them to their homes. The photographs and interviews explore the narrators’ family histories, their lives in small-town Minnesota, and their experiences of living on the margins of Black and white society.
Themes of self-discovery, belonging, and W.E.B. Du Bois’ Double Consciousness are captured in narrator words and photography by Chris McDuffie.
The AAICM’s oral history project was made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society. Outer Experiences: Black Life in Rural and Suburban Minnesota is generously sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
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Visitor Survey
Click here to provide feedback about your visit to see Outer Experiences at the M.
Outer Experiences Oral History Project
Want to hear more from the participants in the African American Interpretive Center’s oral history project? Click here to visit the audio library.
Related Programs
Conversation: Belonging
March 25, 2021
2:00-3:30 p.m.
Join participants of the AAICM Outer Experiences oral history project, a collection of interviews and photographs of Black Minnesotans that showcases their experience living on the margins of Black and white society in rural and suburban communities of the state, in a dynamic conversation around the theme of belonging.
Tune in on Facebook Live or on Zoom!
Art Kit Pick-Up
May 16, 2021
1:00-3:00 p.m.
Stop by the M’s entrance at 350 Robert Street in downtown St. Paul to pick up a free, all-ages art kit, which includes fun and thoughtful art supplies and activities to help you engage with the exhibition.
Outer Experiences Kick-Off
We celebrated the opening of the exhibition with curator JoJo Bell, Director of Exhibitions at the African American Interpretative Center of Minnesota and special guest hip-hop artist Matt “Nur-D” Allen. Watch the program below!
