The African-American Museum

Understanding the struggles that the people behind the African-American Museum of Philadelphia, the DuSable Museum of African-American history in Chicago, the International Afro-American Museum in Detroit, and the Anacosta Neighborhood Museum in Washington D.C is the core of Andrea Burns’ work. Financial, cultural, and political difficulties all went into the creation of these museums. These people did not want just to be included as a part of larger museums, but, Philadelphia being a prime example, wanted to be their own museum that fully and completely represented their own culture. They truly wanted to make these exhibits to show their culture and make statements in their own way. For example, the "The Rat: Man's Invited Affliction" exhibit
These museums that she examines in her book exist in cities that themselves are undergoing major political and industrial post World War II transformations. The clear comparisons between the struggles African-Americans faced in their daily lives and the struggles to get these museums up and running is obvious. The issues surrounding the creation of the museums directly mirror the civil rights issues that African-Americans struggle with day to
Financial stability is key to the existence of any institution, and often for these museums being beholden to donors was a setback for them. A main example of this is the African-American Museum of Philadelphia being beholden to their donors who wanted them to create the museum in time to open for the 1976 Bicentennial celebration, as the museum was formed as “a direct response” to the celebration. This time crunch did not allow the museum to take the time and care it needed to have a truly proper opening, and this concept of being restrained due to finances is a running theme throughout this