Special thanks to our guest contributor Kevin Lydy from the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center! 

Today we’re highlighting one of the Ohio History Connection’s incredible sites, the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center. Plus check out an outstanding resource to prepare students for Ohio State Testing with special digital access to several current NAAMCC exhibits.

The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center was born of a long legacy of intellectual progress and political activism. Situated on the historic campus of Wilberforce University, the lands were once home to the American Indian ancestors whom archaeologists call Hopewell and Adena, and then later the Shawnee. The school opened in 1856 and soon became a mecca for African American educators, philosophers, military heroes, and cultural leaders. By the 1960s, racial justice advocates amplified the call for a national museum.  In 1970, Clarence Brown, a congressman from Ohio, introduced federal legislation for an African American museum on the site due to the long, rich history of Wilberforce. The museum opened in 1988 with a grand celebration and by the late 1990s, had established itself as a leader in the field, an institutional griot of African American history. Today, we are a beacon to researchers across the world, share our collections with museums all over the globe, and present award-winning exhibits of national and local significance. Here at the NAAMCC, we invite you to own your history, live your legacy!

Want to learn more about NAAMCC and provide your students with an incredible Ohio State Testing exercise? Check out this virtual NAAMCC Scavenger Hunt activity created by Kevin Lydy.