Minneapolis, MN – The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAHMG) celebrates Black History Month 2022 with a new history exhibit, Early African Americans of Southeast Minnesota, by MAAHMG History Fellow Mica Anders. The exhibit runs February 1 – July 31, 2022, at the museum, 1256 Penn Avenue N., Minneapolis, MN. Admission and parking are free.
“This exhibition is an opportunity to rewrite early African Americans into the history of Southeast Minnesota. It serves as a starting point to bring their stories and their contributions to the region to light,” said Anders who is a professional genealogist, researcher, oral historian and visual artist. Funding for the MAAHMG History Fellowship program was provided by a grant from the Transformative Black-Led Movement Fund by Nexus Community Partners and Black Visions Collective.
In addition to the new exhibit, the museum will present a series of public online events for Black History Month featuring conversations on a variety of topics. The virtual events are:
- February 3: “Erase: The Movement to Exclude Black People from History.” A discussion with Dr. Keith Mayes, University of Minnesota, Dr. Yohuru Williams, University of St. Thomas, and moderated by Tina Burnside, MAAHMG Cofounder and Curator, about making American history more inclusive and the importance of teaching Black history everyday not just in February. From 5:30 – 6:30 pm.
- February 7: “History of African Americans in Southeast Minnesota.” A discussion with MAAHMG History Fellow Mica Anders about her research and exhibit. From 5:30 – 7 pm.
- February 10: “Artificial Intelligence & the Black Experience.” A discussion with AI expert Elizabeth Adams about opportunities AI presents for the Black community and how we can address challenges of data privacy, digital inclusion and algorithmic bias. From 6 – 6:30 pm.
- February 17: “Artist Talk: A conversation with seangarrison and Seitu Jones.” MAAHMG Artist-In-Residence seangarrison talks about his exhibit “Abstracproseality: Visual Notations from Dark to Light” with artist Seitu Jones. From 5:30 – 6:30 pm.
- February 24: “Black Joy: Strategies for Improving Mental and Physical Health.” A discussion with Marlee James, LPCC, founder of Reviving Roots Therapy & Wellness; Clarence Jones, Outreach Director for Hue-MAN; Phillip McGraw, filmmaker and executive director of V-Fest; and Natalie Walters, life coach and facilitator. Moderated by Tina Burnside. From 5 – 7 pm.
All events are free. Information and links for the events can be found on the museum’s Facebook page for each event and the museum’s website at: maahmg.org.
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