The mission of the African American Museum of Nassau County [AAM]
is to provide programming and events that foster the
intellectual development of community members and visitors with
an interest in African-American art, history and culture.A primary goal is to disseminate the history of
African-Americans on Long Island and the African-American
contribution to the social and cultural development of American
society through material and visual culture. The AAM, located in
Hempstead, New York, opened in 1970, at the height of the black
power movement, as the Black History Exhibit Center.It is the only African American history museum on Long
Island, and is located to serve Nassau County’s largest
African-American population.The museum is a multi-disciplinary cultural institution
that provides art installations, historical exhibitions, film
programs, community service events, and educational programming.
This
6,000-square-foot facility, offers a rotating series of exhibits
showcasing local and national African American artists. The
African American Museum also houses the African Atlantic
Genealogy Society. This organization provides workshops and
individual research instruction in family genealogy.The museum has installed a new E-Learning Program that
offers an innovative pedagogical approach, using subject
headings relative to Americans of African descent, for
conducting research on the internet. The AAM is currently
working on methods to expand the community’s understanding of
knowledge organization methods, literary warrant, and
information retrieval and how these relate to African-American
social history.
