TESTIFY: A CONVERSATION

The Plum Creek Library System is partnering with eight other Minnesota Regional Library Systems to present the program TESTIFY: A Conversation, a virtual webinar featuring retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and his daughter, Georgi Page-Smith.

The public is invited to take part in an evening of conversation that centers around the collection of Americana memorabilia acquired by Page and his wife, Diane Sims Page, and curated by Page-Smith. This presentation is made possible with Arts & Cultural Heritage Funds from Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Selections from the family’s extraordinary collection debuted at the TESTIFY: Americana from Slavery to Today exhibit at Minneapolis Central Library’s Cargill Gallery in 2018, and returned last year in February. The success of the original exhibit sparked the development of the TESTIFY Traveling Exhibition, a large format photo display of several of the artifacts and artwork included in the Page’s 65-plus piece collection. The photographic collection has been displayed at libraries and other locations across the state throughout the past year.

The virtual conversation will offer a glimpse into the efforts of Page and his daughter to continue the work of Page’s late wife, who developed the original collection, and attendees will be encouraged to pose questions throughout the presentation.

The Pages wanted to share this exhibit because, Page-Smith says, “We have respect for our fellow Minnesotans. So, we want as many people as possible to have direct access to this information so they can form their own opinions - and these objects are facts. What folks choose to do with these facts is obviously up to them, but we hope they will create more understanding and help us move beyond the divisiveness we’ve seen lately.”

Page-Smith admits, “I was actually very uncomfortable growing up with some of these objects and even with this conversation, but I do believe that if we don’t know our past we are doomed to repeat it - and we can’t afford that; as a country we are wasting so much time already.”

“Before reconciliation, there must be truth – and the truth can be ugly,” says Justice Page of the exhibit. “But we cannot reconcile and move forward if an increasingly louder group of people continue to deflect, minimize, and sweep history under the rug.”

“Our hope, in creating the exhibit, was that by shining a light on our country’s past we could learn to better understand the racial divide of the present,” he says. “At the same time, we hoped to illuminate a path to a brighter future, highlighting the strength, persistence, and resilience of the African American community.”

Registration for the free program is required and can be found at: bit.ly/TESTIFYconversation About the Diane and Alan Page Collection The Diane and Alan Page Collection is a selection of art and artifacts that paints a portrait of race relations and representation in the 19th through 21st centuries. Gathered by Diane and Alan Page over decades of civic engagement and very personal work in their community, the collection reflects their belief that even as we face the most painful aspects of our past so that they will not be repeated, we must also find bright moments of transcendence that point another way forward. About the Minnesota Regional Library Systems The twelve regional public library systems have been designated by the Minnesota Department of Education as the agencies charged with strengthening, improving, and promoting public library services in their participating areas and are eligible for state funding, including Regional Library Basic System Support, Arts and Cultural Heritage grants, and Regional Library Telecommunications Aid.

The Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment On Nov. 4, 2008, Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment to the state constitution. This amendment passed with 56% of the vote. The Amendment increases the sales and use tax rate by three-eighths of one percent, starting July 1, 2009, and continuing through 2034. Amendment dollars are dedicated to four separate funds: Outdoor Heritage Fund, Parks and Trails Fund, Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and Clean Water Fund.