Leading Indiscriminately: Lied exhibit faces down prejudice

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2003 | 8:20 a.m.

The first sign indicating that the Lied Discovery Children's Museum is deviating from its usual run of science exhibits, is, in fact, a sign.

A notice near the entrance of "Face to Face: Dealing With Prejudice and Discrimination" warns visitors, "This exhibit contains strong language and is not recommended for children under the age of 7."

The truth is, however, "Face to Face" (on display through May 18) is all about strong language; it centers on the physical, racial and religious slurs used by children on playgrounds, in schoolyards, neighborhoods and in homes.

Geared to children ages 7 through 10, "Face to Face" is woven together by interactive multimedia displays designed to promote tolerance and understanding.

A television game show called "Name That Stereotype" invites participants to press a button when they hear stereotypes amid dialogue between characters.

At the Peace Diner, participants pick up a telephone receiver and hear, among other things, "sissy," "taco," "four eyes," "chink-chink girl," "white trash," "nigger," "honky," "gringo," "retarded," "freak," "zebra," and "weight watcher." An accompanying video includes a discussion between a child and an adult on constructive ways to handle name calling.

Additionally, video displays relate first-person stories, in which children from varied backgrounds explain what it feels like to be stereotyped and picked on by other children, and in some cases, other children's parents.

"The stories are very moving," Suzanne LeBlanc, the museum's executive director, said. "That the kids are saying it themselves is very powerful."

Because of its sensitive nature, a community advisory board (including representatives from local synagogues, youth programs, college and university programs and gay organizations) was created to add input and help train staff.

Committees are commonly formed with science and cultural exhibits, but an exhibit of this nature requires more attention, LeBlanc said.

Besides, she said, "We really wanted to present it with the community. We thought that was really important."

Advisory committee member Mujahid Ramadan credits the Lied for bringing the exhibit to Las Vegas.

"Once the mind closes down, it doesn't evaluate, it doesn't investigate, it doesn't explore," said Ramadan, chief executive of M.R. Consulting Inc., a local diversity management company.

"Society as a whole loses its ability to gain from variety. Discrimination doesn't know any gender, ethnicity. It's anti-everything that isn't 'it.'"

This isn't the first time the Lied Discovery Children's Museum has tackled serious topics.

In 1996 the museum hosted "What About AIDS?" an informative exhibit on HIV, which prompted the Clark County School Board to vote against allowing students to take field trips to see the exhibit. The decision was later reversed.

"We like to address social issues," Emily Newberry, director of education at the museum, said. "Anything that promotes tolerance is always a good message for kids to hear early and often. Kids need to hear that message of tolerance over and over again.

"I don't think any kid makes it through childhood unscathed."

Other displays include School Bus Showdown, which features a video clip of a young girl being taunted when she walks onto a school bus. Several children refuse to allow her a seat for reasons that include fear of being excluded themselves.

"For colored only" and "Japs keep moving. This is a white man's neighborhood" are a few signs featured in another display.

Regarding the signs, Newberry said, "Some of these signs are from not that long ago and it does give you hope because things have changed. Change is always little. It's never a big giant 'kaboom.' It's usually just a nudge in the right direction."

The exhibit's use of racially sensitive and other offensive words sparked debate when the exhibit first opened at the Chicago Children's Museum in 1995.

But, LeBlanc said, "In that exhibit, you heard it when you walked in."

"It's important for the museum to be a place for people to come together and discuss serious issues," LeBlanc said. "It really works well with whole families."

Ramadan said the exhibit couldn't be more age appropriate.

"From the time a child is born to the time a child is 10, 90 percent of his personality is shaped," he said.

"My grandmother used to say, working with children is like working with clay. Working with adults is like spray painting on water.

"Our differences are really what makes us united as a whole. We may look different, have different religions, race, sexual orientation. But we're one big family."