The library will host the Diane and Alan Page Collection’s “TESTIFY Tuesdays” Public Narrative workshops with Change Narrative LLC, the ACLU of Minnesota and The Loft Literary Center teaching artists. These storytelling workshops will support participants through the process of developing their personal narratives for public advocacy, exploring such themes as Voting Rights and Immigration Reform. The TESTIFY Tuesdays program is made possible with Arts and Cultural Heritage Funds from Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment. Capacity is limited.

Page and his family are again presenting their exhibit “TESTIFY: Americana from Slavery to Today.” Directed by Page’s daughter Georgi Page-Smith, selections from this extraordinary collection of African-American art and artifacts will be on view from Feb. 1 to March 29, 2023. The family hopes the exhibit will help bridge divides, deepen dialogue and encourage action on justice.

The exhibit features 100-plus objects of oppression and expression. A steel collar from 1820s Virginia is displayed next to a gilded KKK Plate and an elaborate candelabra. A Civil War-era banner reads “Our Country Shall Be One Country” on one side and “Uncle Abe We Will Not Forget You” on the other. Powerful works by artists such as Carrie Mae Weems, Charles White and Clementine Hunter help reclaim African American narratives.