Museum of African American History, in Detroit, is the world’s largest institution dedicated to African American culture. Its mission is to document and preserve the history and culture of African Americans through exhibitions, educational programs, and research. The full name of the museum is the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
The museum has several exhibition areas, a research library, and a theater. One main exhibit, Of the People: The African American Experience, covers about 400 years of African American history and culture. There are thousands of artifacts and documents in the museum, including a collection on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret system that helped slaves escape to the Northern States and Canada during the mid-1800’s. Each year, the museum produces the African World Festival to showcase the culture of people of African descent who live outside Africa.
Charles H. Wright, a Detroit physician, founded the museum in 1965. Until 1987, it was called the International Afro-American Museum.
