✨ Preserving Soul and Story: Dallas African American Museum Receives $3M Grant to Digitize Its Legacy

In a landmark move for historical preservation and public access, the African American Museum in Dallas has been awarded a $3 million grant to digitize its collections spanning the past 50 years. For a museum rooted in the heart of Fair Park and the soul of the community, this grant is more than a financial boost—it’s a promise to future generations.

Founded in 1974, the museum has long served as a cultural anchor, housing rare photographs, oral histories, artworks, and archival materials that chronicle the Black experience in North Texas. But until now, much of its collection remained accessible only to those who could walk through its doors.

That’s about to change.

🔍 Digitization as Historical Justice

Digitization isn’t just about scanning documents—it’s about restoring visibility to lives and legacies that have too often been overlooked. From church programs and business ledgers to portraits of civic leaders and everyday families, the museum’s holdings reflect the richness and resilience of Dallas’s African American communities.

This grant will allow curators, archivists, and technologists to work together to catalog, preserve, and share these materials online. For researchers, educators, and descendants alike, it opens a new portal into the past.

🖼️ What Will Be Digitized?

While the full scope is still unfolding, the museum has signaled that the digitization effort will include:

• Rare photographs from the 1970s onward

• Oral histories and interviews with community elders

• Church and civic records

• Artworks by Black Dallas artists

• Ephemera from local businesses, schools, and social clubs

Each item tells a story. Together, they form a mosaic of memory.

🌐 Why It Matters

Dallas has long been a city of contrasts—booming development alongside deep-rooted inequality. This project helps rebalance the historical record, ensuring that Black voices and contributions are not just remembered but made accessible to all.

For those of us who believe in the power of public history, this is a moment to celebrate. It’s also a call to action: to support, share, and engage with the stories that emerge.

📣 What’s Next?

The museum plans to roll out its digital archive in phases, with community input shaping priorities. Public workshops, educator resources, and interactive exhibits are all on the horizon.

As someone who’s spent years uncovering Dallas’s hidden histories, I’ll be watching closely—and sharing updates as they come.