Set against the backdrop of Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the legal abolition of slavery, the exhibit showcases local trailblazers in African American culture and history. The exhibit celebrates recipients of The History Museum’s African American Legacy Award, from Helen Pope and John Charles Bryant, who received the first awards in 1992, to Verge “Brother Sage” Gillam, who is receiving the 2023 award. Also chronicled is the story of Rosemary Sanders, the first African American musician to play in the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. An outstanding concert violinist, she auditioned and was accepted into the South Bend Symphony in the early 1940s.