The "Joysetta and Julius Pearse African American Museum of Nassau County" was renamed on 18 May 2021 for its long-time Directors. African American Museum also known as the African American Museum of Nassau County, which opened in 1970, is dedicated to showcasing local and national

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

artists. The 6,000 sq. ft. facility is operated by the Museum Services Division of the Nassau County Department of Recreation, Parks and Support Services, the museum is located at 110 North Franklin Street in

Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three Administrative divisions of New York#Town, towns in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead, New York, North Hempstead and Oys ...

and is one of a number of

cultural organization A cultural institution or cultural organization is an organization within a culture/ subculture that works for the preservation or promotion of culture. The term is especially used of public and charitable organizations, but its range of meaning ...

s in the region where visitors can learn about the role of African Americans in

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

's history. The

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

, one of the only African American museums in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, hosts a number of events including

Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...

and

Kwanzaa Kwanzaa () is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called ''Karamu'', usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest ...

celebrations and commemorations of the lives of important figures including

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

and

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Is ...

among others. In an effort to increase visitation, Nassau County decided in 2005 to eliminate admission fees. One of the museum's founders was Dr. Leroy Ramsey, a former military historian for the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...

. and the museum's Director for the first twenty years was Willie Houston. In addition to the large number of school groups that the museum receives, the museum is also the location of and is managed by the African Atlantic Genealogy Society, which provides workshops and research assistance into family genealogy. In 2005 the museum was one of the first ten recipients of the ''Museum Preservation Award'', granted by

American Legacy ''American Legacy'' is a quarterly magazine that covers the subjects of African-American history and culture. The magazine is headquartered in Mount Vernon, New York and was founded in 1995 by Rodney J. Reynolds as a joint venture with Forbes Inc. ...

magazine. The museum also acts as a community center that promotes African American culture through education, art, and other programs that would help enlighten the public. The museum holds Long Island prominent in most exhibits as a representation of the region. Further more, the museum also curates genealogical consultations through a program called " Digging for Roots at the African American Museum."

References

7.^https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/black-history-nassau-pearse-museum-1.50250736

External links

African American Museum
{{Authority control Hempstead (village), New York Museums in Nassau County, New York African-American museums in New York (state) Art museums established in 1970 Art museums and galleries in New York (state) 1970 establishments in New York (state)

See also

References

External links