MILWAUKEE — In honor of Dr. James Cameron, the original founder of America's Black Holocaust Museum, directors announced that the museum will reopen once again after being closed down for 13 years.
"Dr. Cameron died in 2006 and he was the driving force of the museum. We're going to reopen and re-emerge the museum on his birthday, which is Feb. 25," said Dr. Robert Davis, president of America's Black Holocaust Museum.
"It's a phenomenal day for us to be here celebrating the museum's reemergence," said Deshea Agee, vice president of Emem Group.
Shortly after Dr. Cameron's death, the museum closed in 2008 due to the recession. But after years of planning and rebuilding, officials say it was time to bring the museum back and to make it even better than before.
"The closure of the building was just a small step in slowing the process down for it to become as great as it is going to be. You'll see a walk-through of different life experiences. You'll see Vel Phillips, you'll see Dr. King and you'll see things that we’re experiencing today," said Agee.
Museum directors also say part of the reason why they wanted to bring the exhibit back to life was to educate younger generations, especially as the debate over critical race theory in schools continues.
"It's imperative right now that we actually deal with the critical issues that have brought us and manifest how we interact with each other to this very day. Our job is not to shame anyone. Our job is not to bring forth any negative energy towards anyone. It's just to share the truth," said Davis.
And they say that there's no better time than now to teach Milwaukee and the world about the past in order to change the future.
"I think it is time for kids, people of all ethnicities, all social-economic backgrounds to just embrace what happened in the past. How do we become one people? One voice? That's what I believe the museum is trying to help do," said Agee.
America's Black Holocaust Museum will be on Feb. 25, 2022. For the time being, you can view the museum's exhibits virtually online here.
