African American Museum

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.