Posted by By: Jeana Quinlan
This week, Coe’s library and education department teamed up to host a free, self-guided, traveling exhibit called “Anne Frank: Let Me Be Myself”.
The exhibit was available from April 11th-16th in the Perrine Gallery on the library’s second floor.
“Let Me Be Myself” features context about the discrimination faced by marginalized groups in Nazi Germany, as well as an in-depth look at the life of Anne and her family from Anne’s birth in 1929 to her death at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.
Additionally, the exhibit features stories from modern-day teenagers that have experienced prejudice in their own lives. The stories discuss the young people’s lives, their identities, and how discrimination has affected them.
These stories serve as a connection point between the events of World War II and the prejudice and discrimination that still occur today.
A panel at the end of the exhibit features a quote from Anne’s father, Otto, that serves as a call to action. It also emphasizes the importance of learning the history of atrocities like the Holocaust and the harms of prejudice and discrimination.
“We cannot change what has happened.” The quote reads, “All we can do is learn from the past, and realize what discrimination and persecution will do to innocent people. In my opinion, everyone has an obligation to fight prejudice.”