An elderly white woman broke down in tears after she was put in chains at a black history museum in Louisville, as a part of an apparent demonstration of what blacks endured under slavery in America.
Lamont Collins, the founder of the Roots 101 African-American Museum, greeted the woman, saying, “Welcome to America.” Then he locked the heavy chains on her wrists with a click. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he urged.
“Just so much,” the woman wept.
Collins then pointed to a box of Kleenex she could use.
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“I’ve always — I’ve always been interested in history and the history of black people,” the woman said through tears. “I took — I took Afrocentric classes at U of L. My grandma lived at 2821 West Kentucky Street. I’ve read so many books. And now I belong to a church that’s primarily African-American, and I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
“Beautiful,” Collins responded. “Thank you.”
White lady cries about her whiteness as she gets put in chains at an exhibit at a African American Museum (KY) pic.twitter.com/MxJVcBhdMs
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 25, 2025
The museum’s website notes:
Founded by Lamont Collins in 2020, the Roots 101 African-American Museum is a place where visitors can see themselves in history, explore the African-American story in its entirety, and gain a greater understanding of the achievements, cultural contributions, and experiences of our community. … Ultimately, our goal is to empower visitors to recognize and appreciate the resilience, creativity, and contributions of African Americans. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that encourages learning, reflection, and connection.
On the National Geographic Education blog website, a descendant of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre wrote of her experience at the Museum, recalling:
I will never forget that place and its owner, Lamont Collins. This museum was like no other, because not only was it about African history in Africa and America, but I could also touch the artifacts. In fact, Mr. Collins had chains and shackles that were over 400 years old that he actually bound to my wrists. When he put them on me, I cried like a baby. The pain of every person who had been kept in those shackles rushed through me so strongly that my soul recognized each soul who had touched them. I have no doubt that my soul made an agreement with each soul who had touched those chains never to forget and never to stop demanding justice.
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