Great Plains Black History Museum

The Great Plains Black History Museum, located in the Webster Telephone Exchange Building at 2213 Lake Street in North Omaha, has been the premier African American history institution in Nebraska. The Museum, which is privately controlled, is nationally renowned for its collection, which includes more than 10,000 displays.

[edit] About the Museum

In 1962, Omaha community leader Bertha Calloway worked with a local group called the Negro History Society to create the Great Plains Black Museum. Calloway's goal over the next 30+ years was to teach Nebraskans about the contributions of African-Americans in the Midwest. In a 1996 interview Calloway explained, "People must see black history in order for the images they have of black people to change. That’s what our museum is all about... revealing a history that’s been withheld." Burden of Dreams The Reader. In 1976 the Museum formally opened, funded by a grant from the United States Bicentennial Commission. For the following 25+ years the Museum featured paintings, rare books, photographs, and films, with one of the largest historical and cultural institutions west of the Mississippi River.

This collection, complete with historical accounts and memorabilia, told the story of how African Americans helped settle the plains. Displays featured rare photographs and artifacts. Visitors were also able to learn about the changes in African American life in the years leading up to, during and after the Civil War. The museum was founded in the mid-1970s.

The Museum closed in 2001 after director Jim Calloway, the son of founder Bertha Calloway, refused funding from the City of Omaha and Douglas County, after relying on that funding for its entire life. Jim Calloway chaired the Committee for the Preservation of Historic North Omaha Sites, arguing with City officials for more funding than the City Council has allotted. The City refused, and the Museum was forced to close for lack of funding and poor maintenance of the building. Recently, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Black Studies Department and the Metropolitan Community College have shown interest in assisting the Museum's recovery.

Today the building is dilapidated and the Museum has received offers to move it to other locations.

This article uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Great_Plains_Black_History_Museum. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the CC by-sa 3.0 License.

[Log In To Post A Review]Reviews - No reviews yet