America's Black Holocaust Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1988 |
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| Location | Milwaukee, WI |
| Type | History Museum |
| Founder | James Cameron |
| Public transit access |  MCTS |
The America's Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) teaches people about the history of African Americans in the United States. It focuses on the difficult experiences and struggles faced by Black people throughout history. The museum was started in 1988 by James Cameron. He became well known because he survived a terrible attack in 1930.
James Cameron passed away in 2006. In 2008, the museum had to close for a while because it didn't have enough money. This happened during a time when many businesses faced money problems. To keep Cameron's ideas alive, a special group was formed in 2012. This group reopened ABHM as an online museum. It had over 3,200 pages of information on its website.
In 2016, the group announced plans to open the physical museum again in Milwaukee. It would be in the same historic area where the first museum stood. The reopening was planned for 2019, but it was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, in late 2021, a generous donation of $10 million helped the museum. It finally reopened its doors in February 2022.
Contents
The Museum's Story
Who Was James Cameron?
When James Cameron was 16, he survived a very violent attack where two of his friends died. After this, he spent five years in prison. When he got out, he decided to get an education. He spent his life learning about the experiences of African Americans in the United States. He worked to protect civil rights and wrote articles and a book about his life.
Cameron also collected many items and stories about African American history. After he retired, he visited a museum in Israel called Yad Vashem. This museum focused on the personal stories of people who suffered during the Holocaust. Cameron felt that sharing individual stories helped people truly understand history. He then decided to create a similar museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1988, with help from a supporter named Daniel Bader, he opened his museum.
The Physical Museum Building
The ABHM building in Milwaukee is a special place. It is a memorial and museum that explains the African American experience. It shows this history as a long series of terrible events, from when people were taken from Africa until today. The museum helps people understand the sad effects of slavery. It also works to encourage fairness, understanding, and healing between different races.
James Cameron died in 2006. In 2008, the museum's leaders announced it would close temporarily due to money problems. The original museum building was taken down in early 2017. The area was then redeveloped as part of a new project.
On April 4, 2017, construction began on a new building called The Griot. It was built on the same spot where the first museum stood. The new museum is on the ground floor of The Griot building. It was supposed to open in 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays. The physical museum finally reopened in February 2022.
The Online Museum Experience
After the first building closed, the ABHM leaders created a new "virtual museum." This online museum officially launched on February 25, 2012. This date was special because it was James Cameron's birthday and during Black History Month.
The online museum is run by a non-profit group called the Dr. James Cameron Legacy Foundation Inc. Millions of people visit the virtual museum each year from over 200 countries. The online experience adds to what you can see in the physical museum. It shares many stories, both sad and triumphant, that are not often told. It uses short texts, pictures, videos, and links to more information.
Learning at the Museum
The ABHM is a place for learning and discussion about the history of racism in America. It helps people understand how different races can come together.
The museum teaches visitors about African American culture and history through exhibits and special programs. It covers seven important time periods:
- African Peoples Before Captivity: Learning about life in Africa before slavery.
- Kidnapped: The Middle Passage: The terrible journey across the ocean.
- Three Centuries Of Enslavement: The long period of slavery.
- Reconstruction: A Brief Glimpse of Freedom: A short time of hope after slavery.
- One Hundred Years of Jim Crow: Laws that kept Black people from having equal rights.
- I Am Somebody! The Struggle for Justice: The fight for civil rights.
- NOW: Free At Last?: Looking at racial fairness in today's world.
ABHM welcomes everyone, no matter their background. It encourages communities to understand the nation's history of unfairness and how people have worked for change.
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