Good Afternoon All,
At the last Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting a member of the BOT shared his opinion (it was not a motion) that an original and complete KKK robe, hood, cape, etc...etc.... may be considered for being accessioned into the collection, but, with the caveat that the staff would need BOT approval prior to exhibition of the artifact.  The BOT did not act on this request, but the request did cause a lively debate.....which is the basis for the following question.

My question to the members of the Museum-L is, "Does you institution’s governing body ever accession artifacts with a caveat requiring the governing body’s approval to exhibit the artifact? Example: a KKK robe and hood, which could be seen as provocative."

Please note:......I am not seeking opinions, comments, or thoughts on the subject of acquiring artifacts and specimens that may be perceived as "provocative" such as: fossils (evolution and age of the earth); flags (symbols of......) uniforms/clothing (i.e., racial hatred/genocide)....what I am looking for are actual decisions made by Boards of Trustees that have either rejected provocative specimens and artifacts to be added to the collection, and/or directed the staff to seek BOT permission prior to the use of such specimens and artifacts in exhibitions, or other educational activities.

I am looking for specific BOT actions and any background information that caused the action, impact of such a decision, any unforeseen slippery slopes, and examples of the "Law of Unintended Consequences."

Thanks,
Wesley
Wesley S. Creel
Administrator of Programs 
Pink Palace Family of Museums
Memphis, TN USA
office 901.636.2370
www.memphismuseums.org

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).