The Association of African American Museums (AAAM) is pleased to announce an ongoing partnership with the American Association for State and Local History to provide expanded professional development resources and learning opportunities to AAAM members.
Through this collaboration, AAAM members will have access to select AASLH professional development courses at the discounted AASLH member rate, creating additional opportunities for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and emerging practitioners to strengthen their skills in areas such as financial management, fundraising, leadership, and institutional sustainability.
Featured Professional Development Opportunities
Introduction to Financial Management
Instructor: Rebekah Beaulieu
This course provides foundational knowledge in museum and nonprofit financial management and strategic oversight.
Course Date: June 15, 2026
https://learn.aaslh.org/products/introduction-to-financial-management-summer-2026-online-course
Financial Structures and Strategies
Instructor: Rebekah Beaulieu
Designed to help museum professionals better understand organizational financial structures, planning, and long-term sustainability strategies.
https://aaslh.org/professional-development/online-courses/#52fea1f94aa30eda6
Introduction to Fundraising (On-Demand)
An introductory course focused on fundraising fundamentals, donor engagement, and institutional advancement strategies for cultural organizations.
AAAM members will be eligible to register for these offerings at the AASLH member rate. Additional details regarding registration and promotional access codes will be shared with members as courses become available.
https://learn.aaslh.org/products/introduction-to-fundraising-on-demand
Complimentary Access to History News Magazine
AAAM is also pleased to share that AASLH is making the latest issue of History News magazine available free of charge to the AAAM community.
This issue includes several timely and thought-provoking articles that may be of particular interest to museum and cultural professionals across the field.
Highlights include:
- A practical and ethically grounded exploration of how local history organizations can responsibly use artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret and expand access to collections and historical records. Written by Steven Lubar of Brown University, the article offers practical examples and guidance for museums seeking thoughtful ways to integrate emerging technologies into their work.
- A featured article spotlighting AAAM member institution Sandy Spring Museum and its restorative cataloging project, which helped uncover and elevate the long history of the area’s Black community, both free and enslaved, within the museum’s archival collections. Through descendant-informed practices and intentional reexamination of cataloging systems, the project identified more than 450 Black men and women previously obscured within the historical record and created new catalog records to support future research and interpretation. AAAM applauds Sandy Spring Museum for this important and impactful work.
- Key findings from Understanding the Public History Workforce: A Data Report by John Marks, offering one of the most comprehensive contemporary analyses of the public history workforce, including workforce demographics, compensation, and perspectives on the field.
- Coverage of AASLH’s new History & Democracy Initiative, an important national effort focused on strengthening the relevance, civic engagement, and public impact of museums and historical organizations.
Free Access to History News for AAAM Members: In the latest issue of AASLH’s quarterly magazine, Steven Lubar (Brown University) explores creative ways local history organizations can use AI to interpret and expand access to their collections, while John Marks (AASLH) shares key takeaways from Understanding the Public History Workforce: A Data Report and John Dichtl (AASLH) explains the new History & Democracy Initiative, which is the basis of this month’s Virtual Summit (May 27-28, 2026). Ahead of the joint conference in Providence, AASLH is offering this issue free to NCPH members. Read History News here.
AAAM is grateful for this partnership and for the continued opportunity to provide meaningful professional resources and thought leadership opportunities to our members and the broader field.
For additional information about AASLH and these resources, please visit AASLH.