James Madison's Montpelier We The People Fall 2017 WTP_fall 2017_FINAL-rgb | Page 6

WE THE PEOPLE
OPENING OF THE MERE DISTINCTION OF
COLOUR EXHIBITION | 6.4.2017
In June, Montpelier opened its new permanent slavery exhibition, The Mere Distinction of Colour, to the public.
Lauded as an incredibly honest perspective on slavery and race in America, Montpelier hopes The Mere
Distinction of Colour will help to further engage the country in a productive dialogue about these emotional issues.
“The tone, content, and visitor experience is
perfect and sets a standard for interpreting
this most difficult of subjects. The balance
between emotional impact and history, theater
and substance was just right. The courage to
include a strong statement about the legacy of
slavery today and the wisdom to include the
voice of the descendants provided a tangible
contemporary relevance that is missing in other
interpretive efforts.”—ROBERT S.
12
media outlets visited Montpelier
to see the exhibition, including
Buzzfeed, PBS NewsHour, The
Washington Post, and NPR
64
articles were published
mentioning the
exhibition
175 MILLION 548
people were reached
6
media mentions
occurred concerning
the opening