Association of African American Museums

10/07/2026

📣 SAVE THE DATE: AAAM2027

We’re heading to Chicago, Illinois for the Association of African American Museums Annual Conference, August 18–20, 2027!

Registration is not yet open, but there are already several ways to get involved.

✨ Submit a conference proposal - CFP NOW OPEN: https://blackmuseums.org/aaam2027cfp/

🏆 Nominate an AAAM Award recipient:
https://blackmuseums.org/2027-award-nominations/

🎓 Apply for the AAAM Burroughs-Wright Fellowship: https://blackmuseums.org/2027-bw-fellowship/

Each opportunity has an early 2027 deadline, so now is a great time to begin preparing.

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details about AAAM2027!

09/29/2026

📢 The African American Civil War Memorial and Museum IS REOPENING TOMORROW 09/30 at 10:00 am ET!

We’re pleased to share that Dr. Vedet Coleman-Robinson, President & CEO of the Association of African American Museums, will be a featured speaker for the reopening of the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C.

The reopening marks an important moment for an institution dedicated to preserving and interpreting the stories of the United States Colored Troops and the African American experience during the Civil War.

Dr. Coleman-Robinson will join museum leadership, historians, community members, and guests in celebrating this next chapter for the museum and the continued importance of preserving, protecting, and sharing African American history.

We congratulate Dr. Frank Smith and the entire African American Civil War Museum team on this milestone and look forward to celebrating the museum’s return with the community.

Join us as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and help ensure these stories remain accessible for generations to come.

09/24/2026

Please join us in congratulating the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture on their 10th Anniversary! We are thankful that the world gets to witness the intentionality and brilliance of the museum that was opened to and for the people! A People’s Journey and Story has indeed shown the world’s stage that African American history is American history! Cheers to our colleagues at the National Museum of African American History and Culture!

09/21/2026

Thank you Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum. What an amazing artifact.

In 1841, Adam Francis Plummer decided to keep a diary. Born into enslavement in 1819, he labored primarily at Riversdale House, a plantation owned by the Calvert family in Prince George’s County, Maryland. It was there that a Black preacher named John Bowser taught him to read and write, a decision that would have likely cost them dearly if discovered. After his death, his daughter Nellie Arnold Plummer continued the diary.

What did they record in the journal? https://bit.ly/4z1WDwD

📸: Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution

09/18/2026

It’s hard to believe that it has been almost a month since we gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for AAAM’s 48th Annual Conference!

As we continue reflecting on an unforgettable week, we remain especially grateful to Dr. Ashley Jordan, President & CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia and AAAM2026 Host Committee Chair, for curating such a meaningful and engaging Closing Plenary discussion for our AAAM members.

Dr. Jordan and the AAMP Team brought together Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson for a powerful conversation that helped bring our conference to a memorable close and gave our members an opportunity to reflect, connect, and look ahead.

Thank you, Dr. Jordan, for your leadership, vision, and care in helping make this moment, and AAAM2026, so special.

Philadelphia, we are still feeling the energy.

📸 Cred: Megapixels Media

09/16/2026

Free Preservation Workshop

09/16/2026

Tickets for A Conversation with former First Lady Michelle Obama, a special installment of the Uniting Voices Speaker Series, will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Members of the NJM mailing list will receive the first opportunity to purchase before tickets are made available to the general public. If you are already subscribed, keep an eye on your inbox for early access information.

October 7, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. CT
Fort Worth Convention Center

09/09/2026

SECRETARY LONNIE G. BUNCH III IS ONE OF US!

“For AAAM, this is not simply the retirement of a Smithsonian Secretary. This is a moment to honor one of our own. It is an opportunity to honor someone who grew from this field, walked alongside this community, helped transform our profession, and then held the door open so that others could follow. We all owe a great deal to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III.” - Vedet Coleman-Robinson, Ph.D., President & CEO, Association of African American Museums

As we uplift this remarkable chapter in Secretary Bunch’s life and career, we invite the entire AAAM family to help us honor him. We welcome our members to share words of congratulations and encouragement, personal reflections, memories, and photographs through the AAAM member portal.

READ AAAM’S FULL STATEMENT & SUBMIT YOUR CONGRATULATORY WORDS HERE:

https://blackmuseums.org/secretary-lonnie-bunchiii-retires/

09/08/2026

Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III announced his retirement today. While we are saddened for our field writ-large, we are thankful for his service to the field and support to us all. There will never be another quite like, Lonnie! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! 🖤

09/04/2026

If you have ever attended an AAAM conference, then you already know. It is more than a conference. It is a family reunion, and you never know who is going to walk through the door!

This year in Philadelphia, we were honored to welcome Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III to the AAAM family reunion.

Secretary Bunch graciously shared his time with us and delivered welcome remarks during our Thursday Plenary, “Women in the Vanguard of AAAM: Rowena Stewart, Joan Maynard, and the Impact of Black Women’s Leadership in Museums.”

His presence was especially meaningful as we celebrated the extraordinary women whose leadership, vision, and service have helped shape AAAM and the broader museum field.

Secretary Bunch, thank you for sharing your time, talent, and presence with the AAAM family. We are grateful for your continued leadership and for making AAAM2026 even more special.

This is AAAM. This is community. This is family.

📸CREDIT: Megapixels Media