African American Heritage Museum

09/09/2026

A January 6th hero!

09/06/2026

https://archaeology.org/issues/september-october-2020/off-the-grid/massachusetts-du-bois-homesite/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUKUWNwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVRSaHBJOWQ4aHJ5aG5hMFlzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEelY8RBb_7UjI1x5r6wWvH2AuH6qoKpmeplMX9lPHpaGRKRgxe2kVFlBeF73I_aem_bdNWmyZg8igshmz45H81qA

W.E.B. Du Bois Boyhood Homesite, Great Barrington, Massachusetts

09/05/2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/20/politics/navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-black-war-hero-to-trump?fbclid=IwY2xjawUJBNlwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMTB1dVZidEd3b3dLUUN6dk1zcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEep9iTsq4-17AhhPp1LBTCeM5IczEVjhC1hdD_rv7fmkGOziTTxMwL64OaGsE_aem_KQi_Ans-GC3Qf9NLLetGyA

The US Navy is working to rename an aircraft carrier under construction that was set to honor a Black sailor hailed for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor, three sources familiar with internal discussions told CNN.

07/12/2026

Woodson African American Museum Reopens!
https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2026/07/09/woodson-african-american-museum-reopens?fbclid=IwY2xjawTAgpdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe5iL8nGs-38DXDu42Y8sz90HdtNsQhxtwYo41L-BiWkXzeGhGyWXkx4lzITQ_aem_Z0yBD_s7p_nSuR6R6_zO8w

After closing its doors in January for a large-scale renovation project, the Woodson museum is back open starting Saturday.

06/26/2026

A beautiful poem, for your reading pleasure:

"The baby I hold in my arms is a black baby.
Today I set him in the sun and
Sunbeams danced on his head.
The baby I hold in my arms is a black baby.
I toil, and I cannot always cuddle him.
I place him on the ground at my feet.
He presses the warm earth with his hands,
He lifts the sand and laughs to see
It flow through his chubby fingers.
I watch to discern which are his hands,
Which is the sand. . . .
Lo . . . the rich loam is black like his hands.
The baby I hold in my arms is a black baby.
Today the coal-man brought me coal.
Sixteen dollars a ton is the price I pay for coal.—
Costly fuel . . . 'tis said:—
If it is buried deep enough and lies hidden long enough
'Twill be no longer coal but diamonds. . . .
My black baby looks at me.
His eyes are like coals,
They shine like diamonds."

– "Black Baby," by Anita Scott Coleman originally published in the February 1929 issue of "Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life," the magazine of the National Urban League.

Anita Scott Coleman (1890–1960) was an American writer born in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, and raised near Silver City, New Mexico. Her father was a Buffalo Soldier, and her mother had been enslaved in Texas. Coleman later lived in Los Angeles, where she continued to write and publish poetry, essays, and fiction.

Her work appeared in "Opportunity," "The Crisis," "The Messenger," and other leading Black publications of the early twentieth century. Today, she is recognized as an important Western voice of the Harlem Renaissance.

06/20/2026

Passing along the following information for another Black History Museum who are also a member of the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network: The Lee County Black History Society, Inc.in Ft. Myers is seeking a to fill the position of Executive Director. You can find all the pertinent information and instructions for making application at the following link:
https://www.leecountyblackhistorysociety.org/2026/01/24/executive-director-2/ #

Check them out!

Executive Director – Lee County Black History Society   Location: Fort Myers, FL Salary Range: $80,000 - $100,000 (commensurate with experience) Reports to: Board of Directors Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt About the Organization The Lee County Black History Society is dedicated to preserving...

06/17/2026

DON'T FORGET that tomorrow (Thursday, June 18th, 2026) is the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, IL on the 19-acre South Side Campus. The event is being broadcast by MS Now at 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time and will also be live-streamed starting at noon ET. This event launches a Juneteenth weekend festival from June 19th to June 21st.

The campus includes a 5,000 sq. ft. Chicago Public Library branch, a playground, a sledding hill, a cafe and restaurant, an athletic center, community center and a ticketed 8 story museum and much more!

06/17/2026

From the City of Auburndale (*Thanks Jennifer Camp for sharing this information!):

A proclamation was issued for Juneteenth at tonight's City Commission Meeting.
Juneteenth commemorates the day when 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas were declared free by the U.S. Army on June 19th, 1865 by the issuance of General Order #3. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth celebrates freedom for African-Americans and recognizes the strives gained through determination, perseverance, education, and greater opportunity.
On a larger scale, the celebration of Juneteenth reminds each of us of the precious promises of freedom, equality, and opportunity, which are at the core of the American dream. On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday.

06/15/2026

Juneteenth Observed this Friday

Reminder that City offices and facilities will be closed this Friday in recognition of Juneteenth. There will be no impact on the solid waste schedule.

The Juneteenth holiday celebrates the official end of slavery in this country, which took two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. The lengthy delay in some states' announcements regarding the end of slavery was caused by the fact that the Civil War still raging and communication was challenging.

Because of this, news and enforcement had been slow to reach the more remote slave states. The very last reading of the federal orders of emancipation occurred in Galveston, TX, on June 19, 1865, finally bringing freedom to all enslaved persons in the country.

Long celebrated as an unofficial holiday in Black communities, Juneteenth became an official U.S. federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

The official Juneteenth flag (pictured) was created by activist Ben Haith in 1997. Three years later, illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf helped refine the design into its current look, which is rife with symbolism.

The White Star - It honors Texas (the Lone Star State) where Major General Gordon Granger delivered the news of freedom in Galveston. The star also asserts that Black Americans are free in all 50 states.
The Starburst - Inspired by a nova (a "new star") the star represents a fresh beginning for African Americans.
The Curved Arc - This forms the boundary between the red and blue fields, symbolizing a new horizon filled with hope and progress.
The Colors - Using Red, White, and Blue deliberately mirrors the colors of the American flag to serve as a reminder that enslaved people and their descendants were, and always have been, Americans.
(Reprinted from the City of Bartow, Laurie Hayes, Director of Communications. Thanks!)

06/15/2026

On Sunday, June 14, 2026, the Museum was pleased to welcome a group of visitors from the Israel Church of Christ. We hope you all enjoyed your tour and found it educational and enlightening! We're glad you came!