Segregated Water Fountains and the Modern Campus

I had so many ideas about how to celebrate African American History month at my school, most of which I couldn't pull together.  Did we have a gospel choir?  No.  Did we have any interesting lectures on African American topics?  No.

But we did have a book display in the library, and we did have a bulletin board.  One of my colleagues created a wonderful display at the water fountains:

You'll notice the trash in the one water fountain.  We added a note to let people know that the colored water fountains were usually made unappealing in all sorts of ways.  Throughout the week, though, people kept cleaning up the fountain, so we finally stopped adding the trash back to the fountain.

The frame above the water fountain usually gives information about how we filter the water.  This month, we've gotten this information:

I've been so pleased with this project, which is part installation art, part information:  I've watched people stop to read the information about the Civil Rights Movement that she put on those white pieces of paper around the fountain.  It's a unique way to approach this history--so much more interesting than a bulletin board.

Now my thoughts turn to Women's History month--what kinds of similar projects could we do?  A series of mannequins to show the history of women's undergarments?  Of course, I don't have a corset or a girdle.  Let me keep pondering.