Top Black History Museums in the United States – FamilySearch October 26, 2020

I saw this on FamilySearch recently- Top Black History Museums in the United States: . The article is much longer, but here’s a brief synopsis of it.

October 26, 2020  – Sunny Morton

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Stories of African American history and culture are told powerfully and authentically at many black history museums. Some focus on the brutal history of slavery and its legacy of racial violence. Many commemorate the efforts of human rights champions. Most celebrate the resilience, achievements, creative contributions, scholarship, and traditions of African American individuals and communities.

If you can’t travel or visit any of these museums and attractions at the moment, you can also explore your African American heritage right from home! You can read about and plan for future trips to the following top African American history museums.

African American Stories at Black History Museums

National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.

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The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian museum where visitors can explore in black heritage. History-themed galleries illuminate issues of slavery and freedom, the era of segregation, and change since 1968. Rotating exhibits, a theater, a research library and archives, an interactive gallery space, a media arts center, and a family history center round out the experience.

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The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, Ohio

The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center opened more than 30 years ago as one of the first national museums of its kind. Located near two historically black universities—Wilberforce University and Central State University—the museum houses thousands of artifacts, artwork, and a rich archive and hosts an impressive number of special programs and changing exhibits.Virtual visitors can enjoy hundreds of digitized artifacts, such as military unit photographs, football game programs, news clippings, letters, and more.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center sits near the banks of the Ohio River, which was crossed by refugees from slavery on their flight to freedom. Films, storytelling, and hands-on activities and exhibits recount the everyday experience of slavery and the heroic and harrowing efforts of those who attempted to free themselves—and those who helped them. One unforgettable artifact is an early building used as a holding pen for enslaved people.

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Whitney Plantation, Edgard, Louisiana

Before emancipation, the Whitney Plantation was a forced-labor sugar, rice, and indigo farm. Today, it is a museum. Tours lead visitors through original cabins in which enslaved people lived, as well as the outbuildings and enslaver’s home where they labored. Memorials honor the lives of those held in bondage in the state, representing over 100,000 enslaved residents of Louisiana.

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National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee

The National Civil Rights Museum shares the culture and lessons of the civil rights movement and explores its effects globally. The museum is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Visitors learn via films, oral histories, interactive media, and special events about the ongoing battle for civil rights.

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The DuSable, Chicago, Illinois

The DuSable Museum of African American History, in existence since 1961, preserves and shares the achievements and culture of people of African descent through exhibits, workshops, and lectures. This Smithsonian-affiliate institution houses over 15,000 artifacts, artworks, and memorabilia. While national in scope, the museum also emphasizes stories local to the Chicago area. Virtual events reach those who can’t visit in person.

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Black History Museums, Tuskegee, Alabama

several museums listed

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Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Montgomery, Alabama

The Equal Justice Initiative operates two companion destinations for learning the history of racial injustice and violence in the United States.

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Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Houston, Texas

The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum commemorates the history of African Americans in the United States military through exhibits, performances, reenactments, and other programming. Though named for the famous post-Civil War-era buffalo soldiers, the museum also highlights the participation of black Americans in other conflicts. Learn about the buffalo soldiers, and catch glimpses of the museum’s collections on its website.

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https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/top-black-history-museums-united-states/