The Country's Best Social Justice Museums.
The country is currently embroiled in a crisis of conscience over the shooting death of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Martin's death has brought the issue of race to the forefront and led many LGBT activists and leaders to talk about how prejudice is still very much a part of life in the U.S. While many choose to get away from the realities of life on their vacations, others want to soak up knowledge and come back more well-rounded than before they left. In that spirit, we're presenting a list of some of the country's best social justice museums, where you can learn not only about discrimination, but how to battle it.
The Museum of Tolerance, a project of the Simon Weisenthal Center, opened on Pico Boulevard 20 years ago. Its main efforts involve explaining and understanding the horrors of the Holocaust, including the LGBT people that perished in the genocide. But Weisenthal, a famed Nazi hunter, also wanted to broaden the museum's perspective and initiative dialogue on how people of all different stripes can get along. Exhibits about the Rwandan genocide, Asian-Americans, and hate crimes have also been part of MOT, which uses multi-media to help visitors see the experiences of others differently. Reservations are recommended and the museum is closed on Saturdays.
Built for the nation's 1976 Bicenentennial, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is one of the nation's first facilities to study the black experience in America. The museum's "Audacious Freedom" exhibit is reknown, tracking the experiences of free African-Americans in the burgeoning metropolis of Philadelphia. There is plenty of history lessons, including info on everything from the first black doctors to the revolutionary Black Panthers, but also art and lectures. Located right in the heart of Philadelphia, the museum is definitely worth a visit when you're next in town.
One of the world's only stand-alone museums dedicated to the queer experience opened in a Castro storefront three years ago. Featuring treasures from the GLBT Historical Society, the 1,600 square foot facility chronicles how LGBT people shaped San Francisco and how that community shaped American gay life, from Harvey Milk to marriage equality. Located on 18th Street, the museum is open seven days a week.
http://www.outtraveler.com/best-travel/2013/07/18/countrys-best-social-justice-museums?page=0,0