Great Plains Black History Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1976 |
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| Location | 2221 North 24th Street, Omaha, Nebraska |
The Great Plains Black History Museum is a special place that teaches people about the history and contributions of African Americans in the Great Plains region. This area includes states like Nebraska, Kansas, and others in the central United States.
The museum is currently located on the first floor of the historic Jewell Building in North Omaha, Nebraska. It used to be in the Webster Telephone Exchange Building, which is a very old and important building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This museum is famous across the country. It has been around for over 40 years! Inside, you can find more than 100,000 items. These include old newspapers, letters, photos, and other materials for research. The museum also holds programs and shows exhibits in Omaha, across Nebraska, and even in other parts of the country. It is the biggest museum focused on the black experience in the Great Plains.
Contents
History of the Museum
Starting the Museum
In 1962, a community leader from Omaha, Nebraska named Bertha Calloway started the Negro Historical Society. Her dream was to share the stories of African Americans. Later, in 1976, she opened the Great Plains Black History Museum. It was first located in the Webster Telephone Exchange Building. This building had a long history of helping the community. It was used for recovery after a big tornado in 1913. From 1933 to 1952, it was a community center run by the Urban League. It offered many services, like medical help and a library.
Bertha Calloway wanted to teach everyone about the amazing things African Americans did in the Midwest. She worked on this goal for 25 years. In 1996, she said, "People must see black history in order for the images they have of black people to change." She explained that the museum was all about "revealing a history that’s been withheld." The museum opened with help from a $100,000 grant. This money came from the United States Bicentennial Commission in 1976.
What You Can See at the Museum
Since it opened, the museum has shown many interesting things. These include paintings, rare books, old photographs, and films. All these items tell the story of African Americans in the Midwest. Many African Americans moved to the Midwest from the Southern United States in the early 1900s. This big move was called the Great Migration. The museum shows how they became city workers. It also highlights how they built churches and other community groups. You can learn about their music, books, and other parts of their culture. This museum is one of the largest places dedicated to African-American life west of the Mississippi River.
Museum Changes and Reopening
The museum building closed in 2001 because it needed repairs. Jim Calloway, Bertha Calloway's son and the museum's director at the time, felt they didn't get enough money for these repairs. For a while, the museum's materials were kept safe by the Nebraska State Historical Society. Their staff worked to organize and list all the documents and photos.
By 2010, the museum got a new group of leaders. In 2011, they started holding meetings with the community. They wanted to talk about the museum's future. The new president, James Beatty, said, "The building is closed but the museum is open!" This meant that even without a main building, the museum continued its work. It kept sharing history through exhibits in other places.
In 2014, the museum moved to a space in the Crossroad Mall. Then, in 2017, it moved again to a bigger space. This new home is on the first floor of North Omaha's historic Jewell Building, at 2221 N. 24th St. Today, the museum hosts many exhibitions and public programs every year.
In 2022, the museum gave the Webster Telephone Exchange Building to the Bertha Calloway Foundation. This foundation helps keep Bertha Calloway's legacy alive.
See also
