Tara A. Williams

Review of The Harvey B. Gantt Center for...

This does not deserve any stars, but you have to s...

This does not deserve any stars, but you have to select 1. I took my daughter yesterday for MLK Day hoping to educate her on why she had this day out of school in respect for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We were both incredibly DISAPPOINTED! The museum promoted MLK Day at the museum heavily on the internet with hourly events, discussions, forums, and art. It was a joke. It is SUCH a beautiful facility with lots of space which are being misused and wasted! My daughter was handed a white dove cutout to color w markers as the art project. I tried to explain the symbolism of peace and how it was symbolic as no one else was doing ANY education or instruction. There are 2 or 3 rooms with sparse photographs....half depicting gay rights (white people in photos) and having nothing to do with African American culture and history. There is an exhibit with recent photographs of a Dad and daughter and poor depiction of how their neighborhood is being taken over by new expensive apartment construction. Another room had multiple tv screens all playing a video of an incarcerated man talking about being locked up for selling crack. He used the words: G*d d*mn, f*ck, sh*t...the list goes on, repeatedly. Fantastic for my 6 year old daughter's viewing. We learned nothing about authentic African American culture and history. It's common knowledge that neighborhoods are being "bleached." We learned NOTHING about what an incredible figure MLK was and how his efforts still impact our civilization today. The owner/operator of the museum should be ashamed and hand over duties to those who are capable. It was not a celebration of MLK yesterday. This space is not properly occupied with anything of necessity. There was no authentic depiction African American history. This is a seriously flawed operation. It should not be called a museum based on existing exhibits and platforms. This place is a disgrace to African Americans...their beautiful culture/history and the endless struggles they have and continue to have to face and overcome.