New Orleans African American Museum

The New Orleans African American Museum (NOAAM) marks 30 years as a sacred vessel of memory, culture, and transformation in Tremé, one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in the United States. Since its founding in 1996, NOAAM has been dedicated to preserving the legacy of African Americans in New Orleans while uplifting the brilliance, resilience, and cultural contributions of Black life across the African Diaspora.

As we enter our 30th anniversary, NOAAM is not simply reflecting on our legacy, we are actively reclaiming the future. In this milestone moment, the Museum is launching an ambitious campaign to raise $2 million in operating support and secure the first $15 million toward our Capital Redevelopment Plan, which will restore and activate our historic two-acre campus in Tremé.

At a time when Black cultural institutions face persistent threats of disinvestment, displacement, and erasure, NOAAM continues to serve as a vital community anchor and cultural steward. Through exhibitions, education, and public programming, the Museum creates space for ancestral healing, artistic expression, and intergenerational learning, ensuring that the stories of Tremé and the African Diaspora remain visible, active, and deeply rooted in place.

In alignment with this 30th anniversary campaign, NOAAM is participating in #GiveNOLADay to mobilize community support for our preservation and storytelling work. One of our key initiatives, Where the People At, developed in collaboration with Guest Curator Sabrina Mays, documents the oral histories of the remaining original Black families in Tremé. As of 2019, only 33 original Black families remain in this historic neighborhood. Support through GiveNOLA Day helps sustain this work, its exhibition, and NOAAM’s ongoing commitment to cultural preservation.

Over the years, NOAAM has welcomed thousands of visitors, engaged artists and cultural practitioners, and expanded its role as a center for education, creativity, and community connection. As we look ahead to the next 30 years, we are building toward a stronger, more sustainable future grounded in preservation, access, and cultural sovereignty.

This is more than a celebration. It is a call to invest in legacy, in place, and in the future of Black cultural life in New Orleans.

Your support helps NOAAM preserve what remains, honor those who came before us, and ensure that Tremé’s stories continue to shape generations to come.

Testimonials

"Every dime invested in and with the African American Museum in Tremé ensures the continuity of history and culture for the next generations. Please donate."
- Al Jackson, Curator & Founder of Petit Jazz Museum

"I am honored to be one of the New Orleans creatives chosen to help beautify the New Orleans African American Museum. The people I met while assembling this project were phenomenal. Learning about the unsung heroes of Tremé deepened my appreciation for one of the oldest neighborhoods in the country.

I work three blocks from the museum, and I tell my students how art can move from the classroom to the real world-it's a good thing."
- Charlie Vaughn Jr., Uptownartwerx