Rubber bullets, pepper balls, signs and smoke grenades all these items from the BLM protests can be see in a small exhibit, drawing a new generation to a local museum.
LINCOLN. Neb. (KLKN) — Rubber bullets, pepper balls, signs, and smoke grenades all these items from the BLM protests can be seen in a small exhibit, drawing a new generation to a local museum.
“I think a lot of people think of history museum as like your old stuff,” said Miller. ” But it’s like no, this is really super exciting and we want to preserve it for you, for future generations.”
Jordan Miller helps collect items for the Nebraska History Museum and she remembers the local marches that went right by her house in May of 2020, following the death of George Floyd.
“Just to know that something that happened so far away in Minneapolis was directly impacting the lives of Nebraskans and for people that are going to learn about the societal impressions going forward,” said Miller.
“I remember seeing things happening at the Capitol and seeing the marches go past my house, everything that unfolded from it was just one more thing that we had to document.”
She and other museum members used social media and word of mouth to ask
for anything from signs to rubber bullets, artwork, and smoke grenades from the rallies and riots.
“It was worth the challenge in the end,” said Miller. “We knew that it was going to be emotionally hard, the stuff that we were collecting because somebody was killed.”
“Seeing what came up seeing people come together and the communities banding together I think that was really rewarding,” said Miller. “And some of the pieces that we’ve collected really show that community strength.”
She adds it’s been difficult to get pieces from the opposite side, like blue lives matter signs, and hopes others will submit those items for display as well.
The display is now open to the public at the Nebraska History Museum. It’s on the corner of P Street and Centennial Mall.