Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

In 2013-14, the David J. Sencer CDC Museum at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed and hosted the temporary exhibit “Health is a Human Right: Race and Place in America.” Through photographs and documents, the exhibit examines historic challenges of the past 120 years in achieving health equity in the U.S. and explores “race and place” as social determinants of health. At the exhibit’s end, faculty at Georgia State University reached out to the CDC to explore how to extend this impactful exhibit. Through a unique collaboration, Georgia State now serves as the permanent home for the exhibit which has been adapted to its new location and purpose. This paper describes the building of a relationship between a federal agency with a Smithsonian-affiliated museum and a state university with a focus on reaching diverse populations in an urban environment. The author shares the interdisciplinary nature of the exhibit, benefits for faculty, students and the public, incorporation of the exhibit into coursework and discussion, development of an online digital version of the exhibit for accessibility beyond the metro Atlanta area, and sustainability and growth of the exhibit over time. “Health is a Human Right” at Georgia State University is made possible by a donation from the David J. Sencer CDC Museum, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is supported by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health under a cooperative agreement with the University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library.