The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia has recently been added to the list of historic sites by the National Park Service for its importance in illustrating the history of America’s civil rights.
According to the definition created by the Congress-conceived African American Civil Rights Network, historic sites are spots that tell the history of the civil rights movement and highlight the enriching sacrifices and activism of those who participated in it. The Richmond-located museum was added to the classification along with seven other sites this spring, VPM reports.
The Black History Museum’s executive director, Shakiea Gullette Warren, called the new designation a high honor.
She told VPM, “It means a great deal to the BHMVA as we endeavor each day to tell the stories of African Americans here in the Commonwealth, and it also gives us an opportunity to expand what the Civil Rights movement means here in Virginia.”
Warren continued to affirm that the BHMVA fit the federal government’s requirements for the recognition, and it was a “no-brainer” for the museum to join the network. The BHMVA has a similar mission to “preserve, collect, and interpret African American history across the commonwealth.”
“We get to expand that narrative, and we get to let people know that Virginia has always had a place in Brown v. Board and the civil rights movement.”
BHMVA was founded in 1981 by Carroll Anderson Sr. The original building was located on Clay Street in Jackson Ward, but in 2016, the museum moved from that space to the historic Leigh Street neighborhood.
The BHMVA building is not only a museum designed by Black craftsmen but it is also rich with other forms of history. It was an armory for Virginia’s Black soldiers, and years later it operated as the Monroe School for African American children and a community recreational space.
The building has since been renovated to suit a museum space; it now includes rotating and permanent exhibits that discuss history from emancipation to the civil rights movement.
The most recent endeavor for the BHMVA includes completely digitizing the museum’s extensive collection to allow the location to lend itself to become a center for scholarly research as well.
In September, the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA) will debut a featured exhibition, “A Prescription for Change: Black Voices Shaping Healthcare in Virginia.” This exhibition celebrates the achievements of Black medical professionals and sheds light on the healthcare disparities faced by the Black community. The exhibition will be accompanied by guest lectures, health screenings, youth programs, and information sessions, according to RVA Hub.
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