Truth, Repair and the Role of the Museum

What does it take to transform a colonial institution into one that centers healing, justice, and shared humanity? In this episode of Matters of Experience, hosts Abigail Honor and Brenda Cowan speak with Micah Parzen, anthropologist, attorney, and CEO of the Museum of Us—formerly the San Diego Museum of Man.

Micah shares the museum’s bold journey toward anti-racist, anti-colonial practice: from the emotional complexity of repatriating ancestors and sacred objects to the decision to eliminate curators in favor of collaborative exhibit developers. He reflects on the power of language, leadership without fear, and the museum’s commitment to being a space of belonging for communities historically excluded from cultural institutions.

For designers, museum professionals, and anyone navigating institutional change, this episode offers a roadmap of reckoning and a call to reimagine the museum as a place not of authority, but of accountability, curiosity, and care.