Cardozo’s Gateway Wax Museum Brings History to Life

A wax museum is a place where you can see lifelike wax statues of famous people. These figures look real that sometimes, visitors can’t tell the difference between the living and the artificial. These museums are an opportunity for visitors to learn about important people from history, in a fun and engaging way. Wax museums help bring the past to life and make it easier to understand who these people were and what they contributed to the world.

This year, Cardozo’s Office of Climate and Culture, in partnership with the Gateway Program, hosted their second annual Living Wax Museum Exhibit to honor Black History Month.

Black History Month is honored every February and is a time to celebrate Black leaders, inventors, artists, and activists. It was created to help people remember the important things Black people have done in history — especially in America. Schools and communities use this month to teach about famous Black figures, like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman.

While these individuals have made a lasting impact on society, there are many other Black leaders and artists who many times go unrecognized. The wax museum for is a great way to learn about these unsung heroes. Students and staff were able to walk around and see realistic statues of Black historical figures, helping them understand their impact, and hearing about their legacy. 

Cardozo’s Gateway and Office of Climate and Culture utilized different locations inside our school to symbolize different people. In the library, many authors and writers shared their stories, while in the court room, activists and judges. On Friday, they wrapped up their three-day series with performances in our school’s auditorium.

From names like Augusta Savage, Cicely Tyson, Marie Van Britton Brown to Dapper Dan and Billie Holiday, amongst so many others, students were able to see the significant impact that black Americans have had on our history. Ms. EJ and Ms. Millen were able to put this together flawlessly and it was a great experience for anyone who attended. 

Both Ms. EJ and Ms. Millen shared, “Many people don’t know the different people who flew the tapestry to make this world what it is today.” This further led to why they wanted to do different genres and several days of the museum. They both explained having writers in the library, activists in the courtroom, and artists in the auditorium gave the Cardozo community a true, well-rounded view of the contributions these individuals had on our world. The event has expanded so much since last year, and it has many more years to come.

With it being only the second installment of the Living Wax Museum, it’s already a huge success. With today’s world bringing forth a lot of change,  learning about different cultures and histories is vital. It helps everyone understand each other better and appreciate different backgrounds, celebrating those who came before us. Black History Month is a great time to do this because it reminds people of the struggles and achievements of Black individuals throughout history.

A big thank you to all of the students of Cardozo who participated and represented these outstanding individuals for Black History Month:

AALIYAH HEAVEN
Augusta Savage
(1892-1962)
Artist/Advocate
Augusta Savage: The shape of a sculptor’s life Book by Marilyn Nelson

ABIGAIL WANGUI
Cicely Tyson
(1924-2021)
Activist
Just as I Am: A Memoir
Book by Cicely Tyson and Michelle Burford

ADEN BROWN
Alvin Ailey
(1931–1989)
Dance
Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey

ALYCCIA POLYNICE
Marie Van Britton Brown
(1922-199)
Inventor
Marie Van Brittan Brown and Home Security
Book by Virginia Loh-Hagan

ANSOU CONDE
Jean-Michel Basquiat
(1960–1988)
Artist/Advocate
Jean-Michel Basquiat by Jean-Michel Basquiat

CADEN ELLIS
Russell Simmons
(b. 1957)
hip hop
Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success
Book by Chris Morrow and Russell Simmons + MORE

CHRISTIAN MAULTSBY
Paul Obeson
(1898–1976)
Singer
Here I Stand
Book by Paul Robeson + MORE

CHRISTIAN SPENCER
Colin Powell
(1937-2021)
Politics
Many Books

CLOUD BLISSETT
Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
(1908–1972)
Civil Rights
Adam Clayton Powell Jr.: The Political Biography of an American Dilemma (1993)

COURTNEY BARDOUILLE
Dorothy Height
(1943-)
Activist
Open Wide the Freedom Gates: A Memoir (2003)

ELIJAH REYNOLDS-MASSEY
James Baldwin
(1924–1987)
Writer
Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), The Fire Next Time (1963), and many more

GIORGIO SYLVESTRE
Dapper Dan
(1944-)
Fashion
Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem (2019)

HALEY FRASER
Billie holiday
(1915-1959)
Singer
Lady Sings the Blues (1956, autobiography co-written with William Dufty)

JULIAN VILLAFANE
Willi Ninja

KARI HAMILTON
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander
(1898-1989)
Civil Rights
Democracy, Race, and Justice: The Speeches and Writings of Sadie T. M. Alexander

KAYSHIA PATTERSON
Sojourner Truth
(1797-1883)
Abolitionist
Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Bondswoman of Olden Time : Emancipated by the New York Legislature in the Early Part of the Present Century : with a History of Her Labors and Correspondence : Drawn from Her “Book of Life.”

KYLA MALCOLM
Shirley Chisholm
(1924–2005)
Activist
Unbought and Unbossed (1970), The Good Fight (1973)(Author)

LOGAN FOX
Bayard Rustin
(1912-1987)
Civil Rights
Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin

LORI RIGG
Constance Baker Motley
(1921-2005)
Politics
Equal Justice Under Law: An Autobiography (1998)

MANIKA FRANCOIS
Bessie Coleman
(1892-1929)
Aviator

MATTHEW HIGGINS
Charles Richard Drew
(1904-1950)
Physician
Charles Drew: The Man Behind the Blood Bank (2003)

MICHAEL HIGGINS
DJ Kool Herc
(1955-)
hip hop
Featured in books about hip-hop history, such as Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation

MO MOMOREOLUWA
Garrett Morgan
(1877-1963)
Inventor
Featured in biographies for young readers and historical accounts

MOROCCO VAN HOESEL
Diane Nash
(m.1938)
Activist

MYON HUTCHINSON
Leticia James
(1958-)
Politics
Letitia James: Voice of the Vulnerable
Book by D Bryant

RHIANA CLARK
Toni Morrison
(1931-2019)
Writer
Beloved
Novel by Toni Morrison + MORE

RUBEN
Langston Hughes
(1901–1967)
Writer
Multiple Books and Poems

SANAI SMITH
Zora Neale Hurston
(1891-1960)
Writer
Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of The Notorious B.I.G. (2003)

SKYE SMITH
Katherine Dunham
(1909–2006)
Dance
Multiple

TALIA TROUTMAN
Josephine Baker
(1906-1975)
Dance
Fearless and Free: A Memoir
Book by Josephine Baker

VERA JEWOOLA
Audre Lorde
(1934–1992)
Writer
Sister Outsider (1984), Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (1982)

WEIS NORBURN
Harry Belafonte
(1927–2023)
Activist
My Song: A Memoir Harry Belafonte

XAVIER NORBURN
Marcus Garvey
(1887-1940)
Activist
Selected Writings and Speeches of Marcus Garvey
Book by Marcus Mosiah Garvey

ZARIAH DIXON
Mary Pinket
(1931-2003)
Politics

Check out some of the presenters below: