Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture

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Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture

Established in 1991, the museum is in Natchez, Mississippi at 301 Main Street. Director: Bobby L. Dennis. It is housed in the historic former U.S. Post Office, built around 1904, and covers about 10,000 square feet.

The museum was created by the Natchez Association for the Preservation of African American Culture (NAPAC) to explore the contributions of African Americans in the South. Its exhibits trace Natchez from its incorporation in 1716 to today, using art, photographs, manuscripts, artifacts, and books.

Exhibits explore slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, 20th-century wars, and the Civil Rights era. Highlights include Forks of the Road, a major slave market once in Natchez that has earned international recognition from the United Nations; the story of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima ibn Sori; and the Rhythm Nightclub fire, which claimed more than 200 African American Natchez lives. There is also a feature on the works of Natchez-born author Richard Wright.

The museum hosts educational programs and events. In February 2016, during Black History Month, it hosted the Natchez Hip Hop Summit with performances and discussions on hip hop and race. Staff have participated in programs like the Black and Blue Civil War Living History, where Executive Director Darrell S. White portrayed Hiram Revels, the first African American U.S. senator from Mississippi, and Wilson Brown, an enslaved man who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Civil War.