(ABC 6 News) – To commemorate the first day of Black History Month, a new exhibit will open to teach about a pivotal era in African American history in St. Paul.

“Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow” will open at the Minnesota History Center this Saturday.

The exhibit explores the life of Black Americans in the 50 years after the Civil War, the emancipation of slaves and how Black Americans fought for equal rights.

The exhibit features art, artifacts and photographs from the Civil Rights Movement over the centuries, along with their relevance to today.

“It’s really important for Minnesotans to come check out this exhibit because it is a shared history and its not just a story about African Americans, it’s not just a story about what happened elsewhere in the South, it’s a story about what happened here and it’s all of our histories,” said Chantel Rodriguez, the senior public historian at the Historical Center.

The exhibit opens Saturday, Feb. 3 and runs until June 9. Tickets can be purchases HERE