Current and Upcoming TESTIFY Locations

Austin Public Library | Novemeber 6 - December 10, 2023 | Library Hours

Northfield Public Library | January 2024 | Library Hours

Houston County Museum | February 2024 | Museum Hours

Spring Valley Public Library | April 8 - 26, 2024 | Library Hours

SELCO is honored to bring the "TESTIFY: Americana from Slavery to Today" to Southeast Minnesota. This impactful exhibit of artifacts from the Diane and Alan Page Collection was originally presented at the Hennepin County Library in 2018. Following the overwhelmingly positive response from the public, the exhibit has returned in 2023 with a renewed call to action and a wider reach. It is now accessible to the public in Southeast Minnesota as a large-format, high resolution photo gallery.

The TESTIFY exhibit is more than just an exploration of our history, it's an invitation to share our stories, to learn from one another, and to seek healing, understanding, and connection. “Before reconciliation, there must be truth – and the truth can be ugly,” said Justice Page. “But we cannot reconcile and move forward if an increasingly louder group of people continue to deflect, minimize and sweep history under the rug.” The objects in the exhibit are facts: a White House brick made by enslaved people is displayed next to a gilded KKK Plate and a Civil War-era campaign banner for Abraham Lincoln that reads “Our Country Shall Be One Country." And while these facts might make people uncomfortable, that discomfort is needed to become conscious of 'unconscious bias,' and learn to recognize racism. Join us to learn and reflect on the power we each have to act for causes of justice.

The Pages produced the travelling exhibit in collaboration with local artist and designer Kurt Mueller and with the support of SELCO, Great River Regional Library, the Friends of the Hennepin County Library, and The McKnight Foundation.

Interested in hosting the Testify exhibit? Please contact cheins@selco.info.