For Immediate Release
July 2020
The Association of African American Museums Leverages Technology to Host Its 2020 Annual Conference
For the first time, the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) will hold a virtual conference, August 5-7, through the online platform Pheedloop.
The 42nd annual AAAM convening will focus on innovative strategies to sustain African and African American focused museums, as well as the professionals who protect, preserve and interpret African and African American history and culture, in the context of COVID-19 and social justice movements. Registration is now open: www.blackmuseums.org/2020-conference.
The convening will feature a keynote conversation, The State of Black Museums: Leadership and Change During COVID-19 and Social Justice Movements, with Lonnie G. Bunch III, 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and Emmy Award winning journalist Jacque Reid.
“Despite the current climate of COVID-19 and racial unrest, it is imperative that we hold our conference, where each year we have vital conversations surrounding our state of affairs and discuss best practices for our members. Through the virtual conference, our members will continue to engage and discuss how we will stand in the face of social injustice and remain beacons of hope in our communities,” says Executive Director of AAAM, Vedet Coleman-Robinson.
An opening plenary will focus on working in the context of trauma-informed museums with Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, Former Chief Medical Officer of Pfizer, and Dr. David Olawuyi Fakunle, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Museums Association of the Caribbean will lead a closing plenary on the impact of COVID-19 on the African Diaspora.
A special spoken word reception, The South Has Something to Say, will follow the opening plenary and will include celebrity DJ GNice aka “Mr. Magic Hands”, Gary McDaniels. On Thursday, Grammy-nominated R&B recording artist Kenny Lattimore will perform in concert.
Join the conversation via social media @BlackMuseums and #AAAM2020.
* In the face of social injustice and police brutality, AAAM continues to stand up for the communities and member institutions it represents. Please to read the Executive Director’s message to members and supporters.
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Established as the single representative and principal voice of the African American museum movement, AAAM seeks to strengthen and advocate for the interests of institutions and individuals committed to the preservation of African-derived cultures. AAAM proudly serves over 600 members globally in the African and African American focused museum and cultural field. Read more about the organization’s mission and history.
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