The Colby Room: Cultural Institutions, Colonialism, and our Cultural Reckoning

The halls of Museums and Cultural Institutions across the country are filled with collections, artifacts and exhibitions that inform, delight and transport millions of visitors every year. However, they also provide a glimpse into the dark history and practices of our nation, and systems that propagated unethical practices for decades. Many practices that our institutions were founded upon harmed marginalized communities, specifically Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and erased their stories, voices, cultures, and perspectives from our legacies.

This year, the Museum of Science, Boston has acknowledged our own problematic history and the triggers that exist to this day within our halls. In an effort to transform our institution to one that is culturally responsive, equitable, accessible and inclusive to all, we’ve embarked on an ongoing effort to repair harmful practices of our past and begin towards our future of belonging. This work has begun by approaching the Colby Room, a permanent exhibit that is a time capsule of colonialism and conservation-by-rifle, with a new eye towards transparency and cultural reckoning.

Join members from our team this Winter, in conversation with the community partners and experts consulting the Museum on this work, to learn about the history of the Colby Room, the people and cultures represented by the items and artwork in the exhibit, the deep roots of colonialism within museums and cultural institutions that plagues our industry to this day, and our current work towards reparations.