MAAHMG Showcases Both Past and Present History of African Americans in the State

It all started nearly three years ago when Cowens was working on a museum project. Unfortunately, the project didn’t end up being successful; however, it didn’t stop Cowens from wanting to build her own museum. During this time, she met Burnside, an author, playwright, and civil rights, attorney. The two decided to join together to preserve the history and stories of Minneapolis through this museum.  Photo by Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery The process began with the two ladies walking door-to-door surveying locals in the Minneapolis area. For a museum to be built, people in the area needed to support the idea and help in the process. Luckily, they did. After meeting with Thor Hq Holding Company, Cowens and Burnside were not only accepted but were also offered a space. In September of 2018, the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, MAAHMG, opened on Penn Avenue, North Minneapolis.  The museum is located in one large room on the fourth floor of the Regional Acceleration Center. The admission is free; therefore, the museum’s staff is entirely volunteer-based. Cowens is the interim operations coordinator. In this position, she not only opens the museum and runs the front desk; she also is in charge of the finances, outreach programs, and reports to the board. Burnside is the curator, who finds and collects the art, history, writings, and more to create new displays.  Photo by Brenden Larsen "Every now and then we stop and ask ourselves, are we still having fun? The answer is yes, we know we are," said Cowens. Within the two years, the museum has featured over ten exhibits, typically changing each one in a four-to-five-month period. There is one permanent display, “Unbreakable” that features the lives of early African American settlers in the 1800s. “Unbreakable” discusses the troubles African Ame