The Sojourner Truth African American Heritage Museum is at risk of closing down due to a lack of grants reserved from the nonprofit organization.
The museum, considered to be the only museum in Sacramento dedicated to preserving and showcasing Black history, recently took to GoFundMe, announcing that they received no grant funding last year. With the lack of funds, the museum’s future is in jeopardy.
Approximately $100,000 in funds is needed for the museum to remain open, but only a little over $2,000 has been raised so far. Overall, it costs about $20,000 each month to keep the museum open. Nearly 80% of the funds keeping the museum afloat came from the grants they are no longer receiving.
The museum currently has plans to transform into a mobile experience, taking some of the exhibits to multiple schools in Sacramento.
“Just having an African American museum in Northern California is important,” said board president William McDaniels, per local magazine ABC10. “There’s so much history that we bring to the youth, adults, and people who visit our museum. And in some of the traditional history books, it leaves out a lot of the African culture.”
First conceptualized in 1996, the institution was created by visual artist Shonna McDaniels to celebrate the work of African Americans. Through artwork, the museum hopes to inspire attendees to “a greater understanding of acceptance and unity.”
The Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, previously known as the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum, has a variety of exhibits that pay tribute to multiple trailblazers. In addition to a tribute to Black cowboys, the museum has displays dedicated to Black inventors, self-made entrepreneurs, Dunlap’s Dining Room, the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance.
The museum also has an exhibit dedicated to the namesake of the organization. Known as an abolitionist and a womens rights activist, Sojourner Truth spoke out for equal rights, delivering numerous speeches that continue to inspire others.
Through their exhibits, the Sojourner Truth African American Heritage Museum is helping pass along the stories and heritage of these influential figures. The nonprofit-led institution also helps pass down knowledge that history books do not often cover.
“We’re trying to get the word out to the people,” said McDaniels per ABC10. “You have this wonderful museum sitting in the heart of South Sacramento and, people just got to get out there, visit the museum, and really understand the importance of learning our history.”
