Racism, bigotry, hate crimes, religious persecution and other oppressive behavior have all gained museum status in an effort by Eastern students to make them a thing of the past.

Tonya Cozlowski, a member of the multicultural committee, described, “Beyond Words: The Museum of Oppression,” as a group of experiences meant to bring awareness of oppressive and hateful acts to Eastern.

The museum featured exhibits depicting issues of homelessness, the Latino experience, the holocaust experience, the African American experience, religion, body image and sexism, and the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience.

“I don’t know if I could put it into words…They did an excellent job putting this together and I hope the entire campus comes to look at it,” said Bob Dudolski, an Eastern administrator.

Each exhibit highlighted oppressive actions brought upon diverse groups over history while giving accounts of individuals who have brought about change or overcome obstacles and became successful in life.

The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender exhibit showed examples of how gays have been persecuted throughout history, including military discharge papers for homosexuality and the Christian right movement against gays.

One poster featured Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, two religious rights leaders, who both called the Sept. 11 attacks a punishment from God on homosexuals and said that the United States deserved it for being accepting of gay people.

Other literature included gays’ involvement in World War II and a photo display of people who were beaten or killed for being gay.

Another exhibit showed how at one time, people were institutionalized for being gay and that some doctors were certain there was a cure, as if being gay was a disease.

The African American experience exhibit featured a projection of images from civil rights achievements in the ’60s and the triumphs of blacks throughout history.

One picture showed a group of young white males pouring fountain drinks and dumping food on three black protesters who decided to sit down in a whites-only diner.

Other images were of Martin Luther King Jr. being incarcerated and Rosa Parks seated comfortably in the front of a bus, where black people were then not allowed to sit. There was also a table of items from African American culture and literature including a display illustrating Kwanza, the African American winter holiday, which celebrates the seven principles of African American culture.

Neftal” Droz, a Sigma Lambda Beta fraternaty member, said he was impressed by the way the museum came together.

“My fraternity is a multi-cultural fraternity on campus, I commend the people who put this together,” Droz said.

The Latino experience exhibit featured prominent Latino leaders, poets, singers, sports figures and politicians.

Through detailed artwork, the Latino exhibit illustrated how stereotypes of Latino people as gardeners, manual laborers, maids and poor people contribute to oppression.

The Holocaust experience was set up similarly to the African American exhibit with a projector-style presentation.

Images of the Holocaust and literature detailing the atrocities that took place in concentration camps during World War II were accompanied by a violin ensemble which gave surrounding exhibits an added dramatic effect.

The religious experience exhibit detailed the oppression people which from different religions have undergone.

The long line of display tables covered a diverse number of religions including Christianity, wicca, voodoo, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, the Mormon and Catholic churches and Native American religions.

The Body Image and Sexism exhibit demonstrated by using posters of thin models and magazine ads how image oppressed society by setting unachievable standards of fitness, and that most women feel they are overweight.

A display table at the Body Image and Sexism exhibit also featured a display table featuring “Barbies we would love to see,” a spoof on Barbie names including Dinner Roll Barbie, Bisexual Barbie and Butch Barbie.

At the beginning of the museum was a display by TransFair, a non-profit organization that certifies and promotes Fair Trade coffee. The exhibit explained how coffee is the second-most heavily traded commodity in the world next to petroleum, yet coffee farmers continue to live in oppressed and poverty-stricken conditions.

“This is just impressive…Somebody is really making a statement here,” Mitze Dunn, an Eastern Administrator, said in reference to posters around the museum that had common derogatory words written on them.

The museum remains open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.