CLEVELAND — It’s a labor of love in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood that you may not know exists - the African-American History Museum. And it needs a lot of help to be restored to its former glory.
Volunteers and board members have been rolling up their sleeves for months to help remodel the historic building – and hoping you will come out and do the same.
"We have things from Nigeria, we have things from Senegal, we have things from Ghana. We have so many beautiful artifacts, but we need to get the space to reflect our vision to properly display them," says Frances Caldwell, the Museum's Executive Director and volunteer.
If you’ve ever passed the African-American History Museum near 86th and Hough, you might have thought it was an abandoned building. But it's a working museum that just needs a little love, says Caldwell.
"We need money of course. And we also need volunteers. Lots of volunteers. And people who have a heart to give whatever they can - time, money or resources," says Caldwell.
Founded on Thanksgiving Day in 1945 by Icabod Flewellen, Cleveland’s African-American History Museum is the first independently-owned museum of its kind in the country. But multiple changes in management over the years, and competing with bigger projects for city and county money, has made upgrading the historical space slow.
"It’s been a labor of love. It’s a little frustrating at times trying to get others to see the same vision as we see it. It needs a lot of work and, of course, if you only have 5 people trying to do all the work, that’s a yeoman’s task," says Duvall Brown, Museum Board Director and volunteer.
Several years ago, the state of Ohio donated $150,000 to fix the roof, HVAC system, and install an accessibility ramp, but there’s still about $5-million worth of work left to bring the complete vision to life. The museum is calling on the community to pitch in with a little elbow grease.
"Basically I would say we need the most help with the painting, the windows, upgrading the electrical, and beautifying the bathrooms. We also need help replacing the gutters, and any mural artists who could help liven up the exterior, that would be great," says Caldwell.
Museum officials hope to have the space completely renovated by the end of September, which they admit will be a tall task without the community’s help.
There are several ways to donate time, money, or resources to help restore Cleveland’s historic African American History Museum:
- Call 216-721-6555,
- CashApp the museum at $AAMC,
- Email MyAfricanMuseum@yahoo.com
- Search "Cleveland African American History Museum" on GoFundMe, Facebook or Instagram.
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