The Minnesota Historical Society’s (MNHS) featured exhibit Black History, Black Voices, which launched in 2021, continues to provide virtual programming, access to archives, and other online resources that are designed to “deepen the understanding of Black history and the contributions that Black Americans have made to Minnesota.” Video presentations include:
- A virtual conversation from May of 2021, that centers on the edited volume Sparked: George Floyd, Racism, and the Progressive Illusion (eds. Walter R. Jacobs, Wendy Thompson Taiwo, and Amy August)
- Continuing the Conversation, a multi-episode, multi-part showcase that includes stories like “African Americans in WWI,” “From Ft. Snelling to The Tuskegee Airmen,” and an 8-part feature on one of St. Paul’s sparkling artistic jewels – Penumbra Theatre Company.
- And, the Black History Minute, which shines a light on the lives and legacies of Minnesota icons such as Dred and Harriet Scott, Nellie Griswold Francis, Marvel Jackson Cooke, and Roy Wilkins, while also providing direct links to MNopedia articles and other historical documents written by and/or about these individuals.
To learn more about Black History, Black Voices, and to access all of its features, please visit the MNHS’s dedicated webpage.
You can also visit the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG), which earlier this month kicked off its brand new exhibit, Early African Americans of Southeast Minnesota. Curated by MAAHMG History Fellow Mica L. Anders, this exhibit runs through July 31, 2022.
Other offerings at the MAAHMG, include the permanent exhibit, Unbreakable: Celebrating the Resilience of African Americans in Minnesota, designed by artist Timi Bliss and curated by museum co-founders Tina Burnside and Coventry Cowens. The MAAHMG is located at 1256 Penn Avenue North in Minneapolis. Museum hours are 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Tuesdays through Fridays, and from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Admission and parking are free. For more information, send an email to info@maahmg.org or visit the museum online.
