On Tuesday, The Dayton Metro Library kicked off Black History Month with an interactive exhibition put together by The Gem City Selfie Museum.
The Opportunity space at the downtown Dayton Metro Library has eight selfie stations with vibrant backgrounds celebrating Black culture. One is covered in famous albums by Black musicians and another is decorated with flowers.
After several speeches from organizers, poets and Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims, the exhibition opened on the first day of Black History Month to a crowd of about 100, ready to snap a selfie.
But the exhibition is more than just a photo op. NaAsiaha Simon, the founder of the museum, said the stations are a form of therapy for visitors and serve to promote mental wellness in the community.
“I want them to see themselves and also see a positive image of themselves,” she said. “That's why we have a range of different pop up walls because every wall brings out a different emotion.”
Simon is a two time brain tumor survivor. She said after having surgery, she was diagnosed with situational depression. However, conventional counseling did not work for her, so she turned to color therapy and therapeutic photography.
“A lot of people think that you only can have therapy in an office or on a couch, and that's not true,” Simon said. “We're breaking that stigma on when, where and how people address mental health.”
The exhibit is open to all ages and will be on display for free until the end of the month.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
