Kansas City Jazz Museum explores civil rights through art

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A new museum exhibit at Kansas City's American Jazz Museum explores civil rights through African-American art. The exhibit "Jazz Speaks for Life: Discovering the Civil Rights Journey Through Visual and Musical Expression," Missouri native and artist Sonié Joi Ruffin, visiting curator at the American Jazz museum told The Kansas City Star that teaching, talking and learning about African-American history through art is vital.

Ruffin said "African-Americans have the right to expression, that's our God-given gift. We have the right to express ourselves. Especially through the arts."

The show is set up in chronological order of the civil rights movement, beginning with slavery and ending with Black Lives Matter, and features pieces by local and national artists.

“Jazz Speaks for Life: Discovering the Civil Rights Journey through Visual and Musical Expression” includes music as well as tactile art. Ruffin says jazz music and the civil rights movement united, and much of the jazz music thrived in Kansas City.

"Jazz and the movement were such amazing partners," she says. "All these amazing musicians, right here. It happened from 12th and Vine to 18th and Vine."

According to Ruffin, the exhibit shows the sacrifices African-Americans made for future generations.

She said "Every single day for the rest of our lives as African-Americans we are going to have to live out our truths, and as we live out our truths we have to recognize and appreciate the sacrifices that were made for us to be here still today."

Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com
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The Gayly - 6/9/2016 @ 12:15 p.m.