MINNEAPOLIS — Photos on display inside the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery in north Minneapolis highlight Black-led organizations, movements and leaders from the past.
"It's a rich heritage starting in 1800 or maybe before that," said Coventry Cowens, the co-founder of the museum.
Some of her family history goes back more than a century here in Minnesota.
"This is a picture of my uncle and his brother," she said. "They came here a little bit before 1900."
Just like her family's story, a new exhibition is bringing some of this history to the forefront. "Black Liberation: Dismantling Racism in Minnesota — from the 1800s to about 1960s," she said. "The Great Migration brought a great many people to Minnesota. We wanted to give people an idea of what civil rights was like."
"Visitors will learn about the leaders in the abolition, labor, civil rights and Black power movements who championed the cause for Black self-determination and combated against racism through the creation of organizations, economic, and polictical empowerment, and racial pride," said co-founder and creator, Tina Burnside, in a statement.
The museum is also presenting public events on several other topics while displaying 14 quilts created by the community with Black history themes.
In the end, highlighting Black history while honoring those who helped pave the way.
"It's a legacy we want to pass on to all, especially our grandchildren and children," she said.
The exhibit will be here until Dec. 23, 2023.
To learn more about links or to donate to MAAHMG, visit the website here.
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