{"id":567,"date":"2015-07-17T08:40:35","date_gmt":"2015-07-17T08:40:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8888\/vestige\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2020-06-14T21:59:39","modified_gmt":"2020-06-14T21:59:39","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lwfsm.com\/index.php\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our founding history<\/h4>\n

About Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery<\/h1>\n
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\"JJustinGwenRagsdale_22\"\u201cLest We Forget\u201d \u2013Museum of Slavery,\u00a0<\/span>founded 2002\u00a0is home to the private Ragsdale collection of slavery artifacts,\u00a0Bill of Sale documents\u00a0and Jim Crow memorabilia owned by J. Justin & Gwen Ragsdale.\u00a0The exhibit includes authentic slave shackles, chains, whips, branding irons and other items that were used for human bondage and punishment. It also includes numerous objects from the Jim Crow era that negatively depict Blacks.<\/p>\n

This compelling collection truly brings history alive and provides a better understanding of the pain and suffering endured by kidnapped Africans brought to America and other parts of the world and held in bondage for hundreds of years.<\/span><\/p>\n

The LWF extensive collection of slavery artifacts and other items were acquired over the past 45 years by J. Justin Ragsdale. LWF Museum is the only museum in Philadelphia, PA with authentic slavery artifacts that include: shackles, branding irons and other forms of punishing ironware from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their collection also includes numerous genuine documents that promoted the buying and selling of enslaved Africans. These rare collectibles bring history to life. Together we provide moving presentations and use items in the collection to demonstrate what it was truly like to \u201cBe a Slave\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Ragsdale\u2019s\u00a0vast experience has made him a renowned expert in authenticating slavery artifacts, documents and the like. Both collectors and sellers constantly call upon him for his knowledge. During presentations he uses several of his extraordinary collectibles to demonstrate and explain what it was truly like to <\/span>\u201cBe a Slave\u201d.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Gwen uses her skills to deliver compelling presentations that she\u00a0inter-weaves\u00a0with historic accounts and actual slave narratives. She coordinates the museum tours, traveling exhibits and\u00a0researches and writes the contextual descriptive panels displayed throughout the collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Together, the Ragsdale\u2019s shed light on a dark and tragic period in American history and pays tribute to the generations of slave ancestors who greatly contributed to the building of America.<\/span> Lest We Forget Slavery Museum and LWF Traveling Exhibit(s)<\/span><\/i> perfectly document how differently coming to America was for enslaved Africans.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Team Bios<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>
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