BY: Michelle Mitchell | Feb 24, 2025
Clarksdale, MS – The Fred T. Korematsu Institute is proud to bring the exhibit, “Am I An American or Am I Not?” to the Delta Blues Museum from February 16 to March 16, 2025. The exhibition’s title is inspired by Fred Korematsu, a U.S.-born citizen who courageously challenged the government’s wartime orders that led to the forced relocation and imprisonment of 125,000 Japanese Americans.
About the Exhibit:
Visitors to “Am I An American or Am I Not?” will encounter a compelling collection of photographs by renowned artists such as Dorothea Lange and Clem Albers, alongside works from contemporary photographers. These images bridge past and present, shedding light on personal stories and fostering connections that resonate across generations.
- Exhibit Images and Details are available:https://www.amianamerican.org/
- Museum Information is available at:https://www.deltabluesmuseum.org/
- Additional Images and B-roll are available upon request.
- Exhibit Title: Am I An American Or Am I Not? (Event Link)
- Exhibit Dates: February 16 – March 16, 2025
- Exhibit Location: Delta Blues Museum, #1 Blues Alley Lane, Clarksdale, MS 38614
- Special Exhibit Event: Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 5-7pm – Courtney Peagler, the Korematsu Institute’s Vice President and Director of Education, will address the exhibit’s timeless themes in a free, public event at the museum.
Media Availability:
Courtney Peagler will be available for on-camera interviews at the museum or in studio on February 25, 2025. Courtney is a hapa-yonsei descendant of Japanese Americans forced to leave the West Coast, Courtney is committed to ensuring the shameful history of the WWII Japanese American Incarceration is not forgotten and that its lessons are applied to the fight for social justice for all. Courtney Peagler can speak about why this exhibit is important to teaching civil liberties and the role this exhibit plays in educating the public about civil rights and justice. She can also speak about the legacy of Fred Korematsu and his landmark Supreme Court case and the significance of the Japanese Day of Remembrance.
About Fred Korematsu
- Fred Korematsu is famous for his 1944 U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066.
- When faced with federal criminal charges for not obeying the military orders to leave his home without due process, the 23-year-old U.S. citizen remembered his Constitutional rights and questioned, “Am I an American or am I not?”
- Decades later, Fred Korematsu received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, for his courage in defying the government’s orders and fighting for justice.
About the Korematsu Institute:
The Fred T. Korematsu Institute (KI) is a national education advocacy organization committed to advancing racial equity, social justice, and human rights for all. Through educational programs, media and exhibits, and advocacy, the organization honors Fred’s legacy by encouraging others to follow his lead and, as he said: “Don’t be afraid to stand up for what is right.” For more information, please visit korematsuinstitute.org.
“Am I An American or Am I Not?” was developed by the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, Exhibit Envoy, and AGH Arts Strategies. This project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, as well as grants from Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), the JA Community Foundation, and PwC.
Media Contact: Michelle Mitchell
michelle@korematsuinstitute.org
Victoria Lai at vlai@veng-group.com
Phone: 415.735.5086
