Project: Separate Not Equal

Minnesota Transform graduate student interns at Hennepin History Museum supported the production of an exhibition titled Separate Not Equal. This exhibit, which opens on April 22nd, focuses on the desegregation of two Minneapolis public elementary schools, Field and Hale. Separate Not Equal marks the 50th anniversary of these schools being desegregated and uses this anniversary as an opportunity to highlight themes including:

“the legal precedents and landmark rulings that led up to the 1971 pairing; community support and opposition; racial boundaries in South Minneapolis; the lived experience of students, parents, and teachers during pairing; measurable outcomes of success; and what all this means for today.”

MNT also funded research and writing work by Cindy Booker, project co-curator, and the work of undergraduate students from Augsburg University’s Design & Agency program, who designed the exhibition and supporting materials.

To learn more about Separate Not Equal and explore videos about the exhibition, please visit the Hennepin History Museum event page.

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Young Artist Toolkit

Hannah Coble, an HSPH graduate student and MNT intern working on Separate Not Equal, built a toolkit which works to engage youth ages nine through twelve on the contents of the exhibition through the creation of protest art. The toolkit compiles primary documents, images, and other historical materials to catalyze a conversation with youth about the Hale-Field pairing. It also includes instructions informing adults as to how to use the toolkit.

Coble describes the toolkit, stating:

“This activity engages children and their adults with the history of the Hale and Field pairing in south Minneapolis. Using the historical materials included, you are encouraged to discuss with your child why pairing was needed, reactions leading up to the pairing, and how people voice their opinions on issues. We have included resources to aid these conversations and the understanding of the history in the larger context of civil rights movements of the era.”

Facebook Series

Carissa Thomas, another MNT intern working on the Separate Not Equal exhibition, collected the stories of people who lived through the Hale-Field pairing. Thomas shared the personal stories and images of these people as a series on Facebook. On the social media platform, the stories catalyzed conversations about desegration and introduced many to the upcoming exhibition. Carissa also conducted research in support of the Separate Not Equal exhibition.

Thomas also made a video in which former Hale-Field students paid tribute to their teachers. Check out the video here.

Learn more about the project by exploring the following links and media:

• Hennepin History Museum - Separate Not Equal: The Hale-Field Pairing Official Website

• "'Separate Not Equal' exhibit marks the 50th anniversary of the Hale-Field pairing project" by Cara Letofsky for Longfellow Nokomis Messenger. April 5, 2022.

• "Museum exhibit examines 1971 desegregation effort in Minneapolis schools" by Mara Klecker for Star Tribune. May 9, 2022.

• "Exhibit explores early effort to desegregate Minneapolis schools" by Elizabeth Shockman for MPR News. June 6, 2022.

• "When Two Schools Merged" by Mikki Morrissette for Minnesota Women's Press. September 27th, 2022.

• "MPS hosts the “Separate Not Equal” Hale-Field exhibit" by Cole Miska for Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. July 5, 2023.