Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, has broken ground on a new home for the Jim Crow Museum, a resource designed to be a space for teaching, learning, and meaningful conversations about race.
The university says the standalone building on campus will enable the museum to focus on how people pushed back against racism and inspire future generations.
The 26,000-square-foot facility, expected to open in fall 2026, will be equipped to handle the museum's entire collection of artifacts and a state-of-the-art archive and research component.
Its centerpiece will be a 7,500-square-foot permanent exhibit dedicated to a large-scale display and interpretation of the museum’s most compelling assets.
The $22 million project has attracted financial support from the Ferris State board of trustees, State of Michigan, The Ferris Foundation, corporate donors and individuals with contributions ranging from $5 to $200,000.
David Pilgrim, Ferris State’s vice president for Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Initiatives, said the space will serve as a resource for university scholars, and welcome school groups, faith communities, civic organizations, corporate leaders, policymakers, law enforcement, and civil rights advocates.
Jim Crow was the name of the racial caste system, which operated primarily, but not exclusively, in southern and border states between 1877 and the mid-1960s. Under Jim Crow, African Americans were relegated to the status of second-class citizens. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of anti-Black racism.
The new facility will improve the museum's capacity to collect, preserve, and display artifacts of intolerance for educational use.
