Project XV Museum

06/20/2026

We were busy this Juneteenth, representing Project XV!! Brian & Courtney were in Galena giving a presentation to The League of Women Voters and meeting with the curator of the Ulysses S. Grant Museum. Barb represented Project XV at the Bloomington Public Library’s Juneteenth event. And John gave a museum tour to a group of former El Paso residents - some of whom had gotten their haircut in David’s barbershop without ever knowing its incredible history!

Plan your visit today!
The museum is open on Mondays from 12-4 or by appointment by contacting us at [email protected]

www.projectxvmuseum.com

06/19/2026

Today we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States, represented by the holiday. Take a moment to consider how far the nation has come since slavery ended and how far we still have to go on the road to equality.

06/17/2026

06/10/2026

On June 9, 1963, Fannie Lou Hamer was returning from a voter registration program in Charleston, South Carolina with a group of fellow activists, when their bus stopped in Winona, Mississippi. In an act of protest, several members of the group sat at the bus station’s whites-only lunch counter. Before long the police were called and arrested six people, including Hamer.

In jail, the activists were beaten by police and other inmates for four days before they were released. The damage done to Hamer’s eyes, legs, and kidneys would affect her for the rest of her life.

In the following months, Hamer increased her public profile, both through her work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and as one of the founders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and shared her story to help galvanize support for the cause.

📸: Fannie Lou Hamer after being beaten in jail, 1963 (FBI)

06/09/2026

BIG thanks to The Questers, who spent this rainy morning with us! Such a fun group!! 🇺🇸

Ready to come check out Project XV? We are open on Mondays from 12-4pm, or contact us at [email protected] to schedule a tour or field trip!

06/06/2026

Join us for Juneteenth at BPL!!

Juneteenth at BPL
--- Friday, June 19
--- 10am-1pm; Community Rooms 1-3
Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, and is celebrated on June 19.

Join us at Bloomington Public Library as we celebrate Juneteenth with a storytelling performance by local storyteller, Pamela Purnell, followed by crafts, games, community resources, and information to help us learn more about this important holiday!

The first 200 children to complete and turn in their Juneteenth passport will receive a free book and a treat made possible by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, Bobzbay Books, and Miss Kim's Konfections.

Additional onsite community partners include Normal Public Library, Ecology Action Center, 40 & Up Jump, McLean County Museum of History, Project XV Museum, Illinois Art Station, Home Sweet Home Ministries, Illinois Humanities Envisioning Justice BN Hub, and more.

Facepainting will also be provided by the Zoo Lady to 50 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Questions about this program can be emailed to Ms. Alysha at [email protected].

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This event is made possible by the Sapphire Sky Wind Fund at the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation. The IPCF is a grant-making public charity dedicated to improving the lives of people in its four-county service area (McLean, DeWitt, Livingston, and Logan counties). IPCF brings together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in the community.

06/06/2026

Landmarks Illinois has been an incredible supporter of Project XV Museum!!

Landmarks Illinois' Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Recipient and Illinois' first voting rights museum, Project XV Museum, was featured in the news. More than 150 years ago, El Paso barber David Strother made Illinois history as the first African American man to vote in the state after the ratification of the 15th Amendment.

Project XV is a grassroots preservation and education initiative focused on the history of voting rights, located at the Legacy Building, once home to the barber shop owned by Strother, constructed circa 1872 in El Paso, Illinois. As voting rights continue to be debated across the country, museum leaders commented on how the project parallels struggles throughout American history with ongoing attempts to disenfranchise certain voting groups.

In April, Landmarks Illinois Regional Advocacy Manager Quinn attended Project XV Museum’s Annual Gala, which raised over $45,000!

Read more https://ow.ly/JzWw50Z8grP

06/03/2026

Thanks 25News WEEK!

El Paso barber remembered for casting the first African American vote in Illinois

David Strother made history in 1870 after initially being turned away from the polls.

06/02/2026

Project XV Museum will be on the news tonight featuring interviews with board co-chair Michael Melick and Curator Brian Ulrich! WEEK 25 at 6pm