KALAMAZOO, Mich — A non-profit organization is proposing to bring a Black history museum to downtown Kalamazoo.
Plans for the museum were announced by Rev. William Stein at the Wesley Foundation of Kalamazoo earlier this month. The museum will be the first of its kind in Kalamazoo, a city rich in Black history.
Organizers want to highlight notable people who've gone on to do great things, like Hall of Famer Deker Jeter, who's a native of the city, and the late Luther Vandross, who attended college at Western Michigan University.
Organizers say it's past time for Kalamazoo, a city with one of the highest Black populations in West Michigan, to have a museum telling their stories.
"Black folks create history every single day of the year," said Rev. Stein. "But there is no place here in Kalamazoo at the present time to showcase African-American culture and history. We are ready to establish a facility that will not only teach Black history to African Americans but to anyone that wishes to learn more about Black history in Kalamazoo."
In addition to exhibits, the museum would include a performance arts space, a movie theater to show first run and historic films and a chapel for religious services for all denominations. Organizers say the museum will be free to school age children as well.
The proposed opening date of the of the Kalamazoo Black History Museum is Juneteenth 2024. Donations are being collected online via a GoFundMe fundraiser and through the mail.
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