African American cultural centers go beyond teaching history.
They weave together stories of Black art, music, cuisine and innovation to explore what it means to be Black in America. They also are gathering spaces for community events, workshops and celebrations.
With their emphasis on education and enrichment, these centers are hubs for learning and personal growth, and excellent stops for meaningful travel experiences. Here are some spaces across the country where visitors can experience Black culture in its richest form.
The Charles H. Wright Museum
Detroit
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, simply called “The Wright,” is one of the oldest institutions chronicling African American history and the world’s second-largest museum dedicated to Black history. Charles H. Wright, a Detroit physician, founded the museum in the basement of his medical practice in 1965. It moved to a larger building in the 1980s and then again in the ’90s to keep up with its growing collections. It was officially dedicated to Wright in 1998, four years before his death.
Today, The Wright houses more than 35,000 artifacts and has rotating exhibits that explore many facets of African American culture, from historical figures to photography collections that look at the world through the lens of Black culture.
In addition to guided or self-guided tours, groups can sit in on one of the museum’s many public programs held in a newly renovated theater. A popular program there brings in artists and notable local or national figures for educational talks or theater and dance performances. Other museum programming is organized around holidays and includes celebrations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, the Annual African World Festival and Kwanza. Catered meals can be arranged on site.
“There’s not only learning here, but celebration, and when it comes to the activities and exhibitions we host, they are immersive,” said Jonathan Jones, manager of youth and family programs. “I have yet to meet anyone who has not had some very impactful experience once they’ve entered this institution.”
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Washington, D.C.
D.C.’s dizzying array of museums provides groups with an abundance of options, but for Black culture, the choice is obvious — The National Museum of African American History and Culture. It is far bigger than it appears because half of its 10 floors are underground. Wide-ranging exhibits provide a comprehensive portrait of African American history and culture, from fun exhibits on Black influence in the music industry and pop culture to somber explorations of darker chapters of Black history.
This Smithsonian Institution museum realizes some of its galleries induce powerful emotions. Next to some of its most thought-provoking galleries, the Contemplative Court and its floor-to-ceiling waterfall give visitors a place to collect themselves and process their emotions.
The group experience at the museum is highly customizable. A museum representative greets groups then gives them itineraries designed to take them through the museum. These itineraries can vary based on what groups are interested in. Larger groups can be split up into smaller parties with different itineraries. Any museum-hosted docent talks will be highlighted. Meal vouchers are available for group dining at the museum’s Sweet Home Café. The museum’s also fosters connections within visiting groups and its interactive exhibits and activities coax groups into discussions with each other.
“The assumption before was that museums were one-way conversations, but it became clear that visitors do want to spend time learning about the people they came with and the stories they have to share,” said Herman Marigny IV, assistant director for visitor and guest services. “The museum is great excuse to do that.”
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
Little Rock, Arkansas
The Mosaic Templars of America was a Black fraternal organization founded in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1883 by two formerly enslaved people. It provided death and burial insurance to Black people and at one time had over 120,000 members. The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center was named for this organization and located in its original headquarters when it opened in 2001. Though the original building burned in 2005, the new one occupies the same footprint as the old at the intersection of Ninth Street and Broadway, once a thriving Black business district. The center was founded through Arkansas legislation to preserve and chronicle the history of African Americans in Arkansas. It’s now one of only three Black history and culture museums in the South accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
In 2023, the center’s main exhibition space underwent a $3.5 million renovation to enhance its large collection of exhibits, which tackle subjects from the history of Mosaic Templars and Black universities in the state to the role of African Americans in Arkansas religious institutions. Many of its exhibits are interactive, including one that lets visitors talk with AI-generated historical figures, including a Tulsa Race Riot survivor and Andrew Young, a Civil Rights activist.
“It lets you access history differently instead of just reading a panel,” said Courtney Bradford, curator.
Groups of 10 to 30 can tour the center. They can opt for a deep dive into a particular topic of interest; one of the most popular, called “What’s in the Pot?”, explores the history of soul food and its connections to traditional African American cuisine. Catered lunches can be arranged in the center’s ballroom or classroom space.
California African American Museum
Los Angeles, California
Located in Exposition Park in southern Los Angeles, the California African American Museum was founded in 1977 to preserve and collect artifacts related to Black history, art and culture, especially those related to the American West and California. Its current 44,000-square-foot building was designed by Black architects Jack Haywood and Vince Proby and completed in 1984.
The work of Black artists in the museum’s galleries spans many mediums, from sculptures to photographs to mixed media. Visitors can also peruse historic documents and a research library. While many of its works come from Black artists connected to California or the western United States, there are also works from Haiti, Brazil and Africa. The museum is also a site for community events and programs, such as lectures, yoga classes, conversations with artists and guided walkthroughs.
Admission is free to the museum, which is located near Exposition Park attractions including the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum and the Exposition Park Rose Garden.
Harvey B. Gantt Center
Charlotte, North Carolina
The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture is a gem in the Queen City. The center’s namesake Harvey Gantt is an architect and politician known for being Charlotte’s first Black mayor, as well as the first Black student at Clemson University. First opened in 1974 as the Afro-American Cultural Center and named after Gantt in 2009, the 46,500-square-foot building in the heart of Charlotte’s business district is notable for its modern design of crisscrossed glass, metal panels and steel. The design was inspired by the story of Jacob’s Ladder and quilt patterns used the Underground Railroad.
The Gantt Center’s mission is to preserve and celebrate the contributions of African Americans to art, history and culture. Its exhibits highlight visual arts, and its permanent collection contains work from prominent artists such as Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden and Jonathan Green. In addition to displaying art, the center hosts lectures by visiting black artists, community art classes and workshops, and events.
“There’s a lot of heritage here at the Gantt,” said Ingrid Travis James, director of marketing and communications. “There’s that longstanding history we have in the Charlotte region, so if you’re from Charlotte, you’ll learn more about your community. And if you’re not from here, you’ll be surprised just how much history and heritage Charlotte has.”
Groups of 10 or more can can choose between a one-hour guided tour of the art and exhibits or couple their tour with an artist-led workshop where they learn about an African American artist and create artwork in that artist’s style, or complete a goal-setting exercise and create a self-portrait. Groups can also arrange for a catered lunch on site in advance.
