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Black History Museums to Support Now and ForeverBy Gretchen Gales *Editor's Note: This is not an exhaustive list and will be updated to include more museums or information, so keep it bookmarked! Last update: 6/27/2020, Louisiana.  The Black Lives Matter movement and the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have finally brought a good deal of clarity to many people previously unaware of just how badly racism still impacts America (hint: it's a deeply systemic problem). The influx of donations to Black organizations and individuals has been overwhelming in a great way, but how long will it last? In order for real change to happen, its important to keep supporting Black voices far beyond the protests and the news cycle. So when an organization encourages you to share the wealth with others, but doesn't give a suggestion, where can you send your support? The answer? Black History Museums. Since the arrival of COVID-19 and quarantine, museums across the world had no choice but to shut their doors to the public, meaning any revenue from daily ticket sales or merchandise was cut. Commonly underfunded to begin with, 13% of museums worldwide will not be able to reopen after the pandemic due to economic stress. In order to preserve the past and current efforts made to support Black rights, the moments we are seeing on our screens right now need to be preserved for generations to come. To be clear, the way to make the biggest impact is to set up a regularly-occurring donation set up so that the museum you support has a steady source of income. If that isn't financially possible for you, spread the word about the museums and their exhibitions, plan a trip to visit, or write and tell them how important their work is to you. This list will be expanded, so remember to check back frequently. Alabama
Rosa Parks Museum Opened: 2000 Location: Montgomery Ticket Price: $7.50 general admission, $5.50 for children ages 12 and under. $1 discounts available for members of AAA, and AARP. Notable Exhibits and Artifacts: Focusing on the impact of Rosa Parks' iconic bus boycott, this museum is an affiliate of Troy University and the sole museum dedicated to Parks' impact on the Civil Rights movement in the nation. The museum is home to the original fingerprint records taken during Parks' arrest, a bus from 1950's Montgomery, quilts, and station wagon from 1955 used to bus protesters to and from sites. How Your Donation Helps: Your donation goes to funding educational programs for K-12 students, acquiring and preserving important artifacts from the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, and bringing in temporary exhibits that explore bigger themes of social justice in the modern world. Click here to donate. Alaska At this time, there does not appear to be a museum dedicated specifically to Black history in this state. For now, here are some resources specifically about Black history in Alaska: Black History in the Last Frontier by Ian Hartman Alaska Digital Archives Arizona [Coming Soon] Arkansas [Coming Soon] California [Coming Soon] Colorado [Coming Soon] Connecticut [Coming Soon] Delaware [Coming Soon] Florida [Coming Soon] Georgia [Coming Soon] Hawaii [Coming Soon] Idaho [Coming Soon] Illinois [Coming Soon] Indiana [Coming Soon] Iowa [Coming Soon] Kansas [Coming Soon] Kentucky [Coming Soon] Louisiana The River Road African American History Museum Opened: 1994 Location: Donaldsonville Ticket Price: $8 general admission, $6 for Seniors 65+ and children ages 7-17, and free for children 6 and under and Maryland Public School Teachers. Notable Exhibits and Artifacts: The museum was opened in response to the lack of historical context of the role of African Americans along the rural pockets of the Mississippi River. The original museum was housed in Tezcuco Plantation, but the building perished in a fire in 2003. It is now located in the Brazier house, previously owned by educator and principal Sylvia Watkins. Much of their artifacts were donated by local families. Current exhibitions highlights rural Black doctors, the origins of jazz music, Black influence on popular Louisiana cuisine, and Louisianan Black inventors. The museum is also part of the National Park Service's Underground Railroad Network and includes a freedom garden. How Your Donation Helps: Money donated to River Road goes to maintaining the museum and acquiring artifacts or historically-significant property to rural Black culture. Click here to donate. Maine [Coming Soon] Maryland Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History & Culture Opened: 2005 Location: Baltimore Ticket Price: $8 general admission, $6 for Seniors 65+ and children ages 7-17, and free for children 6 and under and Maryland Public School Teachers. Notable Exhibits and Artifacts: Though the museum is Maryland-focused, much of its content reflects national events in Black history as well. The permanent collections focus on the themes of family, community, history, and art with specific exhibits covering education, music, the military, and sports. Rotating exhibits often feature contemporary Black artists. If you are a fan of First Lady Michelle Obama's portrait, you will want to see her piece "High Yella Masterpiece: We Ain't No Cotton Pickin' Negroes" (2011) in person. How Your Donation Helps: There are two major funds that sustain the the Lewis Museum: the Annual Fund and School Visits. The Annual Fund supports permanent exhibitions, various museum programs, maintenance, events, and more. You can also make a specific donation to fund a school to come visit the museum, which covers the cost of transportation and admission fees which makes learning accessible to students from low-income areas. Click here to donate. Massachusetts [Coming Soon] Michigan [Coming Soon] Minnesota Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery Opened: 2018 Location: Minneapolis Ticket Price: Free Notable Exhibits and Artifacts: With Minneapolis becoming the epicenter of a new wave of Civil Rights activism, the museum was quick to acknowledge Minnesota's history of systemic racism and violence against Black people within their community. George Floyd's makeshift memorial pictures are featured on the front page with a message of sympathy and determination to bring racial injustice to light. Their permanent exhibition Unbreakable focuses on Black pioneers in the 1800s. Prior exhibits celebrated "church hats" worn by Black women and the legacy of Black people in the Twin Cities. How Your Donation Helps: Donations help bring exciting exhibitions to the museum and provide educational programs to the public. Yearly memberships start as low as $25 and grant access to special events and discounts. Click here to donate. Mississippi [Coming Soon] Missouri [Coming Soon] Montana [Coming Soon] Nebraska [Coming Soon] Nevada [Coming Soon] New Hampshire [Coming Soon] New Jersey [Coming Soon] New Mexico [Coming Soon] New York [Coming Soon] North Carolina [Coming Soon] North Dakota [Coming Soon] Ohio [Coming Soon] Oklahoma [Coming Soon] Oregon [Coming Soon] Pennsylvania [Coming Soon] Rhode Island [Coming Soon] South Carolina [Coming Soon] South Dakota [Coming Soon] Tennessee [Coming Soon] Texas [Coming Soon] Utah [Coming Soon] Vermont [Coming Soon] Virginia Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia Opened: 1981, 1991 to the public. Location: Richmond Ticket Price: $10 general admission, $8 for Seniors 65+ and students with ID, and $6 for children 4 t0 12, and free for children under 4. Notable Exhibits and Artifacts: Located in the former capital of the Confederacy, the museum is located in what was formerly the Leigh Street Armory, specifically built to bring young Black men military-inspired discipline and education. The building was constructed by Black craftsmen and the brickwork contractor was Armstead Walker, spouse of another Richmond legend Maggie Walker. It also hosted Black regiments fighting the Spanish-American War. It is also in the Historic Jackson Ward neighborhood, which is rich with Black history and businesses. Select artifacts include a bronze bust of Oliver W. Hill, an artistic replica of the Emancipation Tree, and a section of the gallery dedicated to the Richmond 34. How Your Donation Helps: Donations help bring exciting exhibitions to the museum and provide educational programs to the public. It also helps maintain the historic building. There are eight different tiers of membership, the lowest only $35 a year. Click here to donate. Washington [Coming Soon] West Virginia [Coming Soon] Wisconsin [Coming Soon] Wyoming [Coming Soon] District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) National Museum of African American History and Culture Opened: Established in 2003, permanent placement in 2016. Location: 1400 Constitution Way Ticket Price: Free Notable Exhibits and Artifacts: The NMAAHC was the 19th museum to be added to the Smithsonian Institution. The building's architecture is symbolic for the healing that still needs to be done to achieve true justice for Black people in America. It is also built with sustainability in mind, both environmentally and socially. The openness of the museum allows for natural light to enter and to communicate the spirit of an open dialogue in order to keep healing the nation's Original Sin. As expected of any Smithsonian museum, there is an extensive collections of artifacts spanning hundreds of years of history. Their Open Access Initiative allows for anyone to browse and download photographs of artifacts from home. One of the most recent collections includes LGBTQ+ artifacts donated by Dr. Ron Simmons, an activist and former professor of Howard University, in 2019. Stills of photographs include subjects like Marsha P. Johnson, Gladys Bentley, Angela Davis, and many more. How Your Donation Helps: Memberships or one-time donations help keep the museum free to all who visit. It also helps promote Black history as a narrative just as important as any other American history narrative. Click here to donate.
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