Legacy Museum of African American History

Last updated
Legacy Museum of African American History
Logolegacymuseum.png
Founded1995 as The Legacy Project
TypeMuseum
Location
  • Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Website http://www.legacymuseum.org

The Legacy Museum of African American History was established in 1995 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Its exhibits and permanent collection focus on topics central to African American history, including the historic struggle for civil rights; business and employment; civic and social organizations; entertainment and sports; medicine and health; the Black church; the professions; political life; education; communications; the family, and the arts. [1]

Contents

History

The Legacy Project was the name of the organization prior to its acquiring a building for a future museum. It was initially sponsored by the Lynchburg branch of the NAACP.

In 1995 it became incorporated with 501(c) non-profit status. In 1997 the Legacy Project acquired a 100-year-old, dilapidated but once-beautiful house at 403 Monroe Street, Lynchburg. Architect Kelvin Moore was hired to draw up plans to transform the house into a modern museum. A Capital Fundraising Committee was formed to raise $300,000, and a Collections Committee was formed to solicit and archive artifacts for the permanent collection. The Legacy Project became the Legacy Museum of African American History.

Renovation of the historic building that is the museum's home began in March 1999. On June 25, 2000 a celebratory dedication and grand opening was held. Dr. Vivian Pinn, Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health, gave the opening address. The ribbon was cut by civil rights pioneer Drucilla Moultrie and historian Harry Ferguson, both in their 90s, and six-year-old Ashley Lewis. [2]

Since 2006, the museum has worked with the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and five other central Virginia museums to share ideas about programs and staff development. [3]

Mission

The mission of the museum is "to collect, preserve and store historical artifacts, documents and memorabilia relating to significant contributions of the African American Community in Lynchburg and its environs." [4]

The logo of the museum is the Sankofa, a symbol used by the Akan people of West Africa. It means "return and take from the past that which may have been forgotten in the past but which will be of use today and in the future." In Ghana the Sankofa is stamped on textiles and carved on ceremonial objects and tools. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

American Civil War Museum History museum in Appomattox, Virginia

The American Civil War Museum is a multi-site museum in the Greater Richmond Region of central Virginia, dedicated to the history of the American Civil War. The museum operates three sites: The White House of the Confederacy, American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar in Richmond, and American Civil War Museum at Appomattox. It maintains a comprehensive collection of artifacts, manuscripts, Confederate imprints, and photographs.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Non-profit organization in the USA

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is located in the Cultural Center of the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1965, the museum holds the world's largest permanent exhibit on African-American culture. In 1997, Detroit architects Sims-Varner & Associates designed a new 120,000 square foot facility on Warren Avenue, the museum's current location. The Wright Museum is a nonprofit institution and has dual missions, serving as both a museum of artifacts and a place of cultural retention and growth.

Virginia Historical Society History museum in Richmond, Virginia

The Virginia Historical Society (VHS), founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a major repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history. It is a private, non-profit organization, supported almost entirely by private contributions. In 2004, it was designated the official state historical society of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Virginia University of Lynchburg Private HBCU in Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private historically black Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and offers instruction and degrees, primarily in religious studies, including a Doctorate of Ministry program. The campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Valentine History Museum & National Historic Landmark in Richmond, Virginia

The Valentine is a museum in Richmond, Virginia dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond's history. Founded by Mann S. Valentine II 1898, it was the first museum in Richmond.

National Museum of the Marine Corps

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. Located in Triangle, Virginia near MCB Quantico, the museum opened on November 10, 2006, and is now one of the top tourist attractions in the state, drawing over 500,000 people annually.

Anne Spencer Poet, librarian and civil rights activist

Anne Bethel Spencer was an American poet, teacher, civil rights activist, librarian, and gardener. While a librarian at the all-black Dunbar High School, a position she held for 20 years, she supplemented the original three books by bringing others from her own collection at home. Though she lived outside New York City, the recognized center of the Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, she was an important member of this group of intellectuals. She met Edward Spencer while attending Virginia Seminary in Lynchburg, Virginia. Following their marriage in 1901, the couple moved into a house he built at 1313 Pierce Street, where they raised a family and lived for the remainder of their lives.

Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum

The Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum is located is on the upper floor of the Greenville Branch of the Jersey City, New Jersey Public Library, its collection is dedicated to the African American experience.

Curtis W. Harris

Curtis West Harris was an African-American minister, civil rights activist, and politician in Virginia.

International Civil Rights Center and Museum

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM) is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Its building formerly housed the Woolworth's, the site of a non-violent protest in the civil rights movement. Four students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University started the Greensboro sit-ins at a "whites only" lunch counter on February 1, 1960. The four students were Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair, Jr., and David Richmond. The next day there were twenty students. The aim of the museum's founders is to ensure that history remembers the actions of the A&T Four, those who joined them in the daily Woolworth's sit-ins, and others around the country who took part in sit-ins and in the civil rights movement. The Museum is currently supported by earned admissions and Museum Store revenues. The project also receives donations from private donors as a means of continuing its operations. The museum was founded in 1993 and officially opened its doors just fifty years to the day after the sit-in movements in Greensboro NC.

New Jersey State Museum State museum of New Jersey in Trenton, New Jersey

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, New Jersey, overlooking the Delaware River, and serves a broad region between New York and Philadelphia. The museum's collections include natural history specimens, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, and cultural history and fine art objects, and exhibitions, educational programs and research provide context for the collections. The museum, a division of the New Jersey Department of State, includes a 140-seat planetarium and a 384-seat auditorium.

Fort Lauderdale History Center

The Fort Lauderdale History Center is a museum complex operated by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society that is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The complex includes the 1905 New River Inn, a former hotel which now houses the main museum of local history. In addition to dioramas, artifacts, displays and photographs, the museum features one room decorated to appear as a typical hotel room of 1908.

African American Museum of Iowa A museum “to preserve, exhibit, and teach the African American heritage of Iowa.” in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI), nestled along the Cedar River near downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, has been carrying out its mission “To preserve, publicize, and educate the public on the African American heritage and culture of Iowa” since its incorporation as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1994. It has become the leading educational resource on African American history in Iowa and has two on-site exhibits: a permanent exhibit called Endless Possibilities, and the 2017 temporary exhibit – If Objects Could Talk. Additionally, the AAMI has several "traveling exhibits" that are available free of charge for use by schools, libraries, businesses, etc.

The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology is a museum of archaeology located on the University of Michigan central campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the United States. The museum is a unit of the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. It has a collection of more than 100,000 ancient and medieval artifacts from the civilizations of the Mediterranean and the Near East. In addition to displaying its permanent and special exhibitions, the museum sponsors research and fieldwork and conducts educational programs for the public and for schoolchildren. The museum also houses the University of Michigan Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology.

Samuel Proctor Oral History Program

The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) is the official oral history program at the University of Florida. With over 6,500 interviews and more than 150,000 pages of transcribed material, it is one of the premier oral history programs in the United States. SPOHP's mission is "to gather, preserve, and promote living histories of individuals from all walks of life." The program involves staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and community volunteers in its operation.

Commemoration of the American Civil War

The commemoration of the American Civil War is based on the memories of the Civil War that Americans have shaped according to their political, social and cultural circumstances and needs, starting with the Gettysburg Address and the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery in 1863. Confederates, both veterans and women, were especially active in forging the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy.

Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture

The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture is a division of the College of Charleston library system. The center is located on the site of the former Avery Normal Institute in the Harleston village district at 125 Bull Street in Charleston, South Carolina. This historic secondary school trained Black students for professional careers and leadership roles, and served as a hub for Charleston’s African-American community from 1865 to 1954.

References

  1. Legacy Museum of African American History Official Website [ permanent dead link ]
  2. history Archived 2008-02-14 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Grant Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine , Institute for Museum and Library Services
  4. mission statement Archived 2008-02-14 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "History" [ permanent dead link ], Legacy Museum of African American History