Museum Of Us Is Changing More Than Its Name As It Reopens (kpbs.org)

If you think of Balboa Park as a crown, then its museums are the crown’s jewels. Among them is the Museum Of Us, formerly known as the Museum Of Man. After months of being closed, the museum opened its doors to visitors once again on Wednesday.

The pandemic has brought changes large and small to all the museums in Balboa Park. At the Museum Of Us, it has sped up a reckoning the museum has been engaged in over the last several years with its ties to European Colonialism, beginning with the front facade.

Haddan says they worked with Google’s Arts & Culture website to present a more inclusive picture of the facade, which features a number of European colonizers.

“It’s often not shown from the viewpoint of Native Americans, it’s shown from the European viewpoint," he said.

Finally there is the museum’s name change - in the works before the pandemic hit. From "Man" to "Us," the museum said the change better reflects its work towards equity, inclusion and decolonization.

To read more of John Carroll's article, please click here.