Exploring African-American History and Culture In the Age of AI and Chat-GPT
Dr. Cecil Brown, PhD
Principal Investigator
exhibit background
Using the digital tools of augmented reality and generative AI, visitors are transported back to the Antebellum South, specifically to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between 1830 and 1865. Here, they meet George Moses Horton, an enslaved poet whose genius echoes modern hip-hop artists like Too Short, Common, and Jay-Z. This immersive journey, designed by a UC Berkeley team, employs advanced new media storytelling to bring to life the rich, multicultural narratives of American History. Interactive and experimental, the exhibit challenges visitors to engage with history in a dynamic, thought-provoking manner, offering a deep dive into the untold stories that have woven the fabric of our nation.
Virtual exhibition
scan the qr codes below to initiate the experience using your mobile device.
Horton avatar reciting (D-ID) Horton’s poem,
“On Liberty and Slavery” (c.1829)
Generative AI image (Midjourney) based on Horton’s poem, “On Liberty and Slavery” (c.1829)
Horton avatar reciting (D-ID) Horton’s poem,
“Early Affection”
Generative AI image (Midjourney)
based on Horton’s poem, “Early
Affection”
Caroline Lee Hentz avatar reciting (D-ID) the
written introduction to Horton
Generative AI image (Midjourney) of
Caroline Lee Hentz and her written
introduction to Horton (late 1820’s)
Horton avatar reciting (D-ID) Horton’s poem,
“Lincoln is Dead”
Generative AI image (Midjourney)
based on Horton’s poem, “Lincoln is
Dead” (1865)
Generative AI image (Midjourney)
based on a “handsome fellow” news clipping about Horton
from the Raleigh Register (1829)
Generative AI image (Midjourney)
based on a news clipping about Horton
from the Raleigh Register (1829)
Image of a news clipping announcing the
capture of escaped slave, George Moses
Horton (1849)
Screenshot from a scene (Unity) of
Horton working in the field
Generative AI image (Midjourney)
based on a news clipping about Horton
from the Raleigh Register (1866) “The poor old negro”
Image of a news clipping asking people to
visit Horton, now a “poor old negro man ...
now in the hands of the [Pennsylvania]
Freedman’s Relief Association”. (The
Evening Telegraph, Aug 23, 1866)
Image of a news clipping advertising the
event of the opening of Horton’s Grand
Emancipation Tableaux (Pittsburgh)
Generative AI image (Midjourney)
based on a news clipping describing
the opening of Horton’s Grand
Emancipation Tableaux (Pittsburgh)
Contact dr. brown, phd
browncecil8@gmail.com
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