As eighth graders at Day Creek Intermediate stepped into the MPR, they froze. The space that typically hosts cafeteria lunches and student assemblies had been transformed into a pop-up museum. Tables were lined with centuries-old artifacts, faded photographs, handwritten journals, antique currency, paintings, documents, and iron relics from the painful era of slavery.

On February 5, history was no longer simple words on a page. It was something students could see with their eyes and touch with white protective gloves.

Eighth grader Catherine P. described her first reaction to the exhibit. “When I stepped in, my first reaction was really just shock. I didn’t expect that amount of [artifacts], or that most of it was even real. I thought it would just be photos and stories, but to actually get to hold a newspaper [from that era] was just amazing.”

The temporary exhibit was presented by Hardy Brown II, managing principal and chief relationship officer of Footsteps to Freedom, a program operated by the Black Voice Foundation. Brown is an educator, historian, and collector with more than 15,000 historical freedom artifacts, some dating back to A.D. 321.

“I am the chief relationships officer for Footsteps to Freedom,” Brown said, “and we do Underground Railroad tours. I’m a historian, collector, storyteller, and I brought [these artifacts] for the students to be able to experience today with the traveling exhibits from primary sources.”

After previewing the exhibit for teachers, Brown transformed the MPR into an interactive gallery. He set up objects in a nontraditional space, allowing students to move freely, observe closely, and ask questions as they explored.

His goal, Brown said, was to help students see beyond their uniquenesses. “I try to help [students] understand that we are more alike than different,” he said, “and that makes them start having conversations and stories that make us really understand our background.”

The Footsteps to Freedom program works to correct misinformation about Black history by immersing students in authentic stories of resilience and the fight for freedom.

One artifact that stood out to students was a pair of iron wrist shackles, one noticeably larger than the other. Brown asked students to guess why the sizes were different before explaining their purpose.

“He’s asking the kids to try and hypothesize why that might be,” eighth-grade teacher Mrs. Gossage said. “And he ends up explaining to them that it was for a mother and her child.”

In addition to the shackles, students examined artifacts spanning centuries, including books, photographs, documents, and personal items. Students were encouraged to handle the materials carefully and ask questions without hesitation.

Eighth grader Deborah A. said one artifact in particular caught her attention. “There was this swimming pool sign,” she said. “But it was like, for white people only, and I thought that was really not right.”

Brown shared the history behind each artifact while connecting the objects to the people who lived through the era.

“As you go through and look at everybody experiencing it, the story will tell itself,” Brown said. “I hope that they come across something that makes them curious. We, as humans, have gotten to a stage where we aren’t curious, and being curious sometimes is picking something up.”

For Day Creek eighth graders, the exhibit sparked curiosity, reflection, and discussion. Many students left the MPR with a deeper understanding of history and a greater awareness of the humanity behind the artifacts they explored.

“[The experience] made me aware of everything that relates to slavery, and it made me feel grateful because we were born in a different time; it made me have sympathy for the people that were in slavery,” said eighth grader Aria G.

This story was originally published on The Day Creek Howl on February 11, 2026.