A video has gone viral of a white woman at the Roots-101 African American Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, breaking down in tears when the shackles of a slave were placed on her wrists as part of a simulation of how slaves lived.
The founder of the museum, Lamont Collins, placed the heavy set of shackles on the visitor and said, “Welcome to America.”
After a few moments, he said to the woman, "Tell me what you're thinking."
"Just so much," she replied. "I've always been interested in the history of Black people. I took Africentric classes at U of L (University of Louisville). My grandma lived at 2821 West Kentucky Street (a historic black district in Louisville). I've read so many books, and now I belong to a church that’s primarily African American, and I wouldn’t be anywhere else."
White woman brought to tears after being shackled during African American museum visit pic.twitter.com/Nw9gRpDWIn
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) September 25, 2025
The Roots-101 African American Museum, founded in 2020, was created with the mission of giving visitors a chance to “see themselves in history” while also understanding the broader story of African American life, according to Collins. The museum stands to “promote understanding & inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions, and experiences of African Americans.”
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Thankfully, being chained is no longer how anyone is “welcomed to America,” nor does it define her place in the world. To many, the woman’s tears looked less like a history lesson and more like a case of performative guilt, dramatic, self-centered, and ultimately unhelpful. Some online argued her display still wasn’t dramatic enough to measure up, as if white visitors must stage a full breakdown to prove sincerity. Ironically, even modern Black Americans can’t truly grasp the suffering of their enslaved ancestors, but that doesn’t stop them from policing how others are supposed to react.
