The Museum of Durham History (MoDH) opened a new Duke student-curated component of its ongoing exhibit “100 Years of Duke” titled "Our History, Our Voice: Latinés at Duke.”
The exhibit provides an in-depth look at the complexities of Latiné identity at Duke, shedding light on both the challenges faced by the community — ranging from discrimination to institutional inequities — as well as the remarkable contributions it has made to the university.
“Our History, Our Voice” is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of the Latiné community at Duke University,” said MoDH Executive Director Patrick Mucklow. “This exhibit brings to life a vital and often overlooked part of Duke’s history. We are proud to showcase this collaborative effort, and we invite the public to engage with the powerful, multifaceted story.”
Students from Hunt Family Assistant Professor of History Cecilia Márquez’s Latinx Social Movements course and Senior Lecturer of Romance Studies Joan Munné’s Spanish for Heritage Learners course created the first iteration of the exhibit by conducting research at the Duke University Archives and through oral history interviews with alumni, faculty and staff. Since then, the exhibit evolved as a collaboration between current and former cohorts of Márquez’s students, each class building upon the work of its predecessors, culminating in the work currently exhibited at the MoDH.
The newly installed exhibit lines the sidewalk leading to the museum’s main entrance, each panel exploring the impact of Latiné students, faculty and staff at Duke over the past century.
At the exhibit’s opening night, History graduate student Jessica Muñiz addressed the audience in a public speech and acknowledged the extraordinary intellectual and emotional labor that cohorts of Duke students have poured into curating the exhibit. “Every element you see tonight — the written narratives, visual motifs, panel colors, and even the critical decisions about what histories to highlight — was shaped by students.”
For Márquez, the exhibit launch was a magical event, attended by multiple generations of students coming together to celebrate the significant historical work they had created together.
“I’m especially honored and excited to have this exhibit on display at the Museum of Durham History,” Márquez said. “So much of Duke’s history is entangled with Durham’s and to have the “Latiné History” on display in the heart of downtown Durham shows the importance of the Latiné community to both Durham and Duke’s history.”
The outdoor exhibit “Our History, Our Voice: Latinés at Duke” will be on display until April 2025.
