Harvey B.

Gant Center

Mary Harper, an English student, and Bertha Maxwell, a professor, both at
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, established the Harvey B. Gantt Center in
1974. The center was named a community leader, and businessman. Harvey B. Gantt was
the first African-American mayor elected in Charlotte, North Carolina. America I Am:
The African Imprint is an exhibit brought to the Harvey Gantt Center by Tavis Smiley.
This exhibit is important because it shows the different phases of African-Americans in
America. In addition, this holds hundreds of historical artifacts from hundreds of years
ago to give the viewer a more realistic view of what was really happening during these
times. It shows the importance of Blacks in America.
America I Am: The African Imprint covers years of history from slavery to the civil
rights movement. Its realistic figures, narration, an images bring these times back to like
more intriguing than reading in a book.
The exhibit covered African-American history as a whole. However, the railroad
sign that said waiting room for whites only, and the Klu Klux Klan costume really
emphasized on a separated America at the time. It takes you back in time with the
narration, and really figures that make you think about how black people really had an
impact positively and negatively on America. It makes you then about then and now, and
what would life be like if it was not for the 13
th
Amendment or the civil rights movement
where would be now.
Along with the realistic figures, the art pieces and valuable figures from the
slaves, it along had a symbolic representation of each object. For instance, the art figure
of Senufo chief in Africa shows an importance of power back when slavery existed in
Africa itself. In addition the inkstand that was given to Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a
representation of anti-slavery supporters in England. This exhibit uses art to symbolize
the importance of African-American history. These pieces may not be as intriguing or
well-well known, but these are the most significant pieces that ties all the history together
from then until now.
I visited the Harvey Gant Center during the month of February because I wanted
to experience a mixture of art and culture. I have never been to a museum such as this.
Tavis Smiley the creator of this exhibit has an extraordinary mind to build expressions
and realism through art and history. This art museum based on history of a specific time
period was very different that the other Modern/Contemporary art I have seen around in
other museums. There were not many paintings, but more statue figures painting a vivid
picture to the details of the time period in the 1960s. I was able to understand the
concept of the exhibit and understood that the meaningful story through the art portrayed
at this museum.