BizJournals Portfolio

Competing for History

Aug 29 2008

Back to: The Color of Money

Hampton University Museum and
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
African American Museum in Philadelphia
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Hampton University Museum and
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There are dozens of museums dedicated to the African American experience, and more on the way. But a number of factors, including the sensitivity of topics such as slavery and racism, have made fundraising a challenge. Here, a selection of prominent institutions, including some highly touted ones that have yet to become reality.
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United States National Slavery Museum

Bill Cosby has given about $1.2 million to the U.S. National Slavery Museum, a $200 million project planned for Fredericksburg, Virginia. Ground has not yet been broken, though a Spirit of Freedom Exhibit Garden has been created on the site.
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Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

First proposed by in 1977 by Birmingham Mayor David Vann, the institute wasn’t dedicated until 1992.
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Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture

In 1929, legislation was passed authorizing the construction of a memorial building on the National Mall to serve as museum and “a tribute to the Negro’s contributions to the achievements of America.” The $500 million project, which has Oprah Winfrey on its council, is slated to open in 2015.
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National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Winfrey donated $1 million to the Freedom Center, which opened in Cincinnati. It has struggled for funds and attendance.
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African American Museum of Philadelphia

Civil War reenactors watch over the Emancipation Proclamation displayed at the museum, which was founded in 1976. The institution foundered for years, accumulating $600,000 of debt before a new C.E.O. took over in 2005.
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Charles H. Wright Museum of
African American History

Rosa Parks lay in state at the Detroit institution after her death in 2005. Founded in 1965, the museum is the “world’s largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.” But in recent years, it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy.
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Hampton University Museum

Part of a traditionally black college, the 140-year-old institution is the oldest African American museum in the U.S.

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