The Cleveland African American Museum
Introduction
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The African American Museum of Cleveland, founded in 1953 by Icabod Flewellen is the first independent African American museum in the Americas. Its mission is to store, share, and educate the public on contributions made to the world by people of African descent. Located in the historic Hough neighborhood of Cleveland since 1984, the African American Museum has provided cultural awareness, education about Black history, and community events in addition to a collection of artifacts that represent a holistic view of the African diaspora experience.
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Backstory and Context
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The museum has played a significant role in increasing cultural awareness and education about black history. It has been a much sought out venue for community events because of its collection of artifacts that show the African diasporic experience.
In 2005, the museum closed, but it reopened in 2009 part-time, thanks to the effort of a group of community volunteers. As of 2018, however, it is unclear how active the museum still is.
Sources
Ison, Angela. "Museum Founded by Flewellen Remains Closed and Ignored." The Cleveland Stater. February 11, 2011. http://www.csuohio.edu/class/com/clevelandstater/Archives/Vol%2012/Issue%209/Copy/120914.html.