Illinois Holocaust Museum examines present-day genocide [Video]

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie is set to open “Voices of Genocide,” a new exhibit that’s focused on more recent generations of survivors.

“There’s a reason why most of the pictures in this exhibition are in color,” said museum spokesperson Noah Cruickshank. “We want people to realize that genocide happens in color. It’s not just something of the past.”

This new, permanent exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center features firsthand testimonies from survivors and descendants of genocide in Armenia, Guatemala, Bosnia, Rwanda and Burma. Museum officials said the idea is to bring understanding and spark conversation about a very difficult subject.

“This is, sort of, how the seeds are planted,” said Cruickshank.

Cruickshank walked WBBM through the exhibit ahead of its opening. “Voices of Genocide,” they said, explores the common warning signs of genocide, including: defining an enemy, or othering; creating conflict and instability; and unchecked …