FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2026
Association of African American Museums Announces $461,368 Grant Awards in Partnership with the National Park Service through AAAM x AACRN Grant Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Association of African American Museums (AAAM) is delighted to announce the allocation of $461,368 in grant funds through the AAAM x AACRN Grant Program. This initiative, made possible through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN), aims to support projects that contribute to the preservation and celebration of African American history and culture.
After a rigorous and competitive application process, AAAM has selected 19 projects from organizations across the nation that are listed on the African American Civil Rights Network. These projects exemplify a commitment to advancing the narrative of African American contributions to civil rights and social justice movements.
“Strong partnerships, such as the collaboration between the National Park Service’s Park History Program and organizations dedicated to supporting African American cultural institutions, are essential to ensuring that resources are directed to those with the knowledge, capacity, and commitment to preserve and share African American history with care and integrity. Through this work, we are better positioned to identify and advance projects that reflect the depth, complexity, and diversity of our collective story. Together, through collaboration and shared purpose, we remain committed to preserving and celebrating African American heritage for generations to come,” said Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson.
The awardees of the AAAM x AACRN Grant Program are:
| Name | State |
| Tuskegee University | Alabama |
| African American Fire Fighters Historical Society | Maryland |
| Banneker Douglass Tubman Museum | Maryland |
| Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture | Maryland |
| Magnolia House Foundation, Inc. | North Carolina |
| Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice | North Carolina |
| Stagville Descendants Council | North Carolina |
| The Stagville Memorial Project | North Carolina |
| Oklahoma Indian Territory Museum of Black Creek Freedmen History, Inc. | Oklahoma |
| Brookland Center for Community Economic Change (dba Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center) | South Carolina |
| C. Williams Rush, LLC dba C. Williams Rush Museum of African-American Arts & Culture | South Carolina |
| Black History Museum of Warren County Tennessee | Tennessee |
| Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation | Tennessee |
| Dickerson Center for Civil Responsibility (An Unbroken Spirit: The Life of Reverend Horace L. Dickerson) | Texas |
| Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia | Virginia |
| Dr. James Cameron Legacy Foundation, Inc. dba America’s Black Holocaust Museum | Wisconsin |
| Association for the Study of African American Life and History | District of Columbia |
| International African American Museum | South Carolina |
| Gullah Geechee Corridor | South Carolina |
For more information about the AAAM x AACRN Grant Program and the Association of African American Museums, please visit https://blackmuseums.org/AAAM-grants
Contact:
info@blackmuseums.org
About Association of African American Museums (AAAM)
The Association of African American Museums (AAAM) is a non-profit organization established to support African American museums and cultural institutions in their efforts to preserve, interpret, and promote the art, history, and culture of African Americans and the African diaspora. AAAM serves as an advocate for the interests of African American museums and provides professional development opportunities for museum professionals.
About African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN)
The African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN) is a program of the National Park Service that recognizes and highlights the important contributions of the African American community to the civil rights movement in the United States. The AACRN works to preserve and interpret sites and stories associated with the struggle for civil rights, promoting education and awareness of this pivotal era in American history