Grantee Partner Spotlight: DeKalb County History Center

A Q&A with Michelle Donahoe

Executive Director of the DeKalb County History Center and DeKalb County Historian

You all were founded in 1999 and now have a mission to inspire curiosity in the county’s history. Tell us a little about your history as an organization and any key highlights or turning points.

What is the ecosystem of history centers and museums like in DeKalb County, and what role do you all play?

We are small – two full-time people, though we understand that that is a “big” organization when compared to the amazing history museums run by all volunteers throughout the state. 

The History Center is truly dedicated to collaboration, no one can do it all. “Many hands, light work,” as they say. We want to be supportive of our history partners, and for them to see us as a resource. 

We regularly explore how we can work together. At first, there was not a lot of trust. People were not really sure about how we would collaborate. But over time, our county history groups have really come together on a variety of projects. For example, we created exhibit booklets that list each history organization in the county, how they connect to the current exhibit, along with their hours and website. Another way we work together is on different projects, like “Arts in Action,” which is our attempt to do a better job of incorporating Black and Latino stories into our local history. Many places didn’t feel comfortable taking on “hard history” alone, but when we worked together, there was a support network, and it became easier to address our complicated past.

For instance, research showed Sycamore had a KKK [Ku Klux Klan] rally of 12,000 to 15,000 people in the 1920s. There was also a photo of a Klan parade near Kirkland, men in their Klan robes but their faces were not covered so everyone knew who they were. There was also a Klan charter in Genoa. They even had what they called a ‘Klantaqua’ in Sandwich. Most likely, our area museums wouldn’t have shared these stories if it wasn’t a collective effort. Today this information is shared on the website createchange.today, where people can discover these stories and see how our local history fits into the national historical narrative.

We work with non-traditional partners too, such as the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board. They were one of our major sponsors of our “Arts in Action” conversations and programming, which has been amazing. The opportunities they provided opened connections to new audiences, to those not necessarily interested in history but who want to make our communities a place of belonging.

Finally, our new exhibit lists 48 partners who helped with its creation. This is beyond just history people, it includes schools, libraries, local businesses, Meals on Wheels, and others. 

Who we are as an organization is how we work with others.

This project for which you all just received funding, the “FOOD: Gathering Around the Table” podcast, is sort of a big leap of faith – exciting, but also jumping into a new area. Describe the plan, and what you hope will come out of it.

We were chosen as one of five organizations in the U.S. to host the FOOD exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution. The program is part of a new “Starter Kit,” a bit different from other Museum on Main Street exhibits. The Smithsonian provided a graphic design kit and exhibit script and hosted Zoom calls with various people from their talented staff. Also, the exhibit will be displayed for two years, not the usual six weeks. In the exhibit script, there were four main themes identified by the Smithsonian, which we complimented with local stories. This research is the foundation of our podcast themes. With the podcast, we can take a deeper dive into five of the topics. We are also hoping to engage a younger audience with a podcast.

The first section is called the “Land of Plenty.” In DeKalb County, we have some of the richest soil in the world, but also a food desert and 15+ food pantries. The exhibit panels only allow for 85-100 words, not a lot of space to talk about this complicated issue. In the podcast, we will have a more in-depth discussion with some of the key people in our community involved in this work. It all goes back to our mission of “inspiring curiosity in DeKalb County history.” 

Hopefully, people see the exhibit, attend a program, or listen to the podcast and want to learn more!

We have also built connections with the Potawatomi Nation, and plan to explore their foodway traditions. Their headquarters are based in Kansas now, but many of their traditions carry over from when they were in Illinois. There is a new mandate from the Illinois State Board of Education to teach Native history in schools. We hope this podcast will be a resource for teachers too. 

Then the last of the five themes is Latino food. Our goal is to have the podcast in Spanish to show our commitment to working with the Latino community. We’re excited and nervous, too; pushing ourselves into new territory.

In terms of production, we’re working with a local elementary school teacher who leads their podcasting program. The teacher helped with recommendations on equipment and will provide training. In the fall, the teacher will be part of our Museum Day workshop where he can train our history partners on how to use the equipment and lead a podcast. The goal is to open up the opportunity of podcasting to the other history groups in the county. 

Your website has become a rich resource. Anything in particular you’d like to share with people?

I like the online exhibit site. There is so much that goes into an exhibit, and it’s so sad when it comes down. Not all of the objects are there, but you can read the text, see the images, and experience the different stories we tell. So that’s a favorite. 

The other is the educational resources for teachers. We just received a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant to develop more lesson plans. This project builds upon our Arts in Action work, and the grant includes a stipend for teachers, we are very excited about this amazing opportunity.

Anything else to add?

Two things: June 1st was the opening of the FOOD exhibit. Come and join us! 

The other thing is that I was so impressed with the new Illinois Humanities Strategic Plan. The plan is insightful and in alignment with what I was thinking but couldn’t put into words. As I read it, I kept thinking yes, yes, that is what we want to be doing. It’s great to see that kind of leadership in a humanities organization. The vision provides a solid framework for organizations across our state and I look forward to its implementation!

About DeKalb County History Center