UpNext: The IMLS Blog

This post is a part of the AAHC Forum. In the coming months we will invite current and past grantees to contribute their project experiences via blog posts on our UpNext Blog and then ask you to respond through the AAHC Virtual Forum. We hope you will add your voice and share your needs and opinions so that AAHC can continue to help African American museums thrive. Please visit the AAHC forum to continue the conversation.

Introduction: The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center will implement a strategic plan focusing on the creation of a viable education department, creation of a collections management plan, and professional development. IMLS funds will enable the museum to carry out these strategic goals by employing a full-time museum educator; establish staff training in collection cataloging and management; and provide continued professional development in museum-specific skills and nonprofit management.

By Dion Brown and James McWilliams
B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center

The Mississippi Delta is a region stricken with “unders.” The residents are underserved, underprivileged, and undermined. The local school district is under conservatorship and has an academic ranking of “D.” Many students fail to pass state-level testing requirements and do not graduate. Often these students opt to take the GED or take minimum-wage jobs, and the poverty cycle continues.

With a 2012 IMLS Museum Grant for African American History and Culture, the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center (BBKM) will be better able to improve education in Sunflower County, Mississippi, the heart of Mr. King’s vision for the museum. The grant allowed us to hire a Director of Education and devote more attention to supporting the local school district in its efforts to increase the accountability rating of the school district. Staffing this position has allowed us to develop sustainable education and public programming.

Dion Brown and James McWilliams examine a piece in the museum’s collection.

The IMLS grant has provided us with the opportunity to work with a consultant who is tasked with incorporating the state’s curriculum into the museum’s exhibit. When the local schools tour the exhibit, the students are not just going on a field trip. The teacher can actually plan lessons for reading, history, math, and the arts. The curriculum is divided into three clusters: the life of B.B. King, music itself, and performance. We are excited about our exhibit being used as a resource to teachers.

The final component of the IMLS grant is the processing and cataloging of our collections and the implementation of a permanent cataloging system. With the help of Archival & Historical Research Associates (AHRA), a work plan was developed with three main objectives in mind: to create a permanent finding aid for each collection in the archives, to create a permanent cataloging system that could be developed into a digital archive, and to train museum staff and interns in archival procedures. Currently the staff is working with a consultant to complete the first phase of the cataloging process. The collections and cataloging project will result in a qualified and knowledgeable collections staff, an organized and comprehensive collection of materials about the life and legacy of B.B. King and the Mississippi Delta, and an accessible archive that can be used by the community as well as researchers and scholars worldwide.

This post is a part of the AAHC Forum. In the coming months we will invite current and past grantees to contribute their project experiences via blog posts on our UpNext Blog and then ask you to respond through the AAHC Virtual Forum. We hope you will add your voice and share your needs and opinions so that AAHC can continue to help African American museums thrive. Please visit the AAHC forum to continue the conversation.

Introduction: The Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant History preserves several historic structures along with a new LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy & Environment Design) education and cultural arts building at the Weeksville Heritage Center. It was originally proposed that IMLS funding would allow the organization to hire a LEED-trained facilities manager to operate the new Education and Cultural Arts Building. However, due to delays in construction, the position was modified to accommodate the hiring of an individual during the construction process, allowing for the development of knowledge and design skills and then addressing long-term needs of the institution after completion.

By Anita Romero
Director of Operations & Administration, Weeksville Heritage Center

There is a buzz on Bergen Street. People are wondering what is going on behind the blue construction walls on Bergen and the surrounding streets. Excitement is building as the new extension to the Weeksville Heritage Center (WHC) nears completion. The very modern facility is a stark contrast to the quaint, historic houses across the vast meadow. WHC is a cultural organization dedicated to the preservation of Weeksville, a community of free African Americans founded in central Brooklyn in 1838. In my short time here, I have found WHC to be a place where the past comes alive through stories, objects, and a commitment to preservation.

An aerial view of the new site.

The new facility will allow WHC to greatly expand its programming, allowing tens of thousands of visitors to tour the community’s historic houses while enjoying a bevy of concerts, lectures, films, green programs, and exhibitions. The new space will connect the past to the present. A permanent orientation exhibition links the education center to the historic grounds and Hunterfly Road houses. This connection is critical to creating a positive, informative, and expansive visitor experience. The 500-square-foot exhibition will be a multisensory experience including collection objects, archival materials, and interactive media.

The building design has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Standard and has received awards for its innovative sustainable design, which harkens back to Weeksville’s agricultural past. An IMLS Museum Grant for African American History and Culture allowed WHC to hire me as the Director of Operations & Administration. Having joined the team late in the process, I have found the past four months to be a whirlwind, mostly focusing on preparing for a soft opening in June. I am learning a whole new vocabulary as I research the requirements for LEED and the operation of our closed loop geothermal system. We are so proud of the role WHC will play in being a leader in sustainability and green programming.

We are kicking off the 2013 season with a flurry of activity beginning in June with the WHC Gala, several amazing garden party concerts, and the expansion of our famous Farmer’s Market. An open invitation to all of you reading this post: come check out something old and something new at the Weeksville Heritage Center!

This post is a part of the AAHC Forum. In the coming months we will invite current and past grantees to contribute their project experiences via blog posts on our UpNext Blog and then ask you to respond through the AAHC Virtual Forum. We hope you will add your voice and share your needs and opinions so that AAHC can continue to help African American museums thrive. Please visit the AAHC forum to continue the conversation.

Introduction: The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was awarded a 2012 African American History and Culture grant to develop an institutional succession plan to provide professional development and training opportunities to mid-level managers and directors in order to enhance their leadership and managerial skills. By developing a succession plan, identifying emerging leaders within the organization, and providing the leadership and management training necessary to enhance management and museum-specific skills, the Freedom Center will increase institutional sustainability, reduce turnover rates, and improve leadership capacity.

By Chris Miller
Manager of Program Initiatives, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Before becoming a manager at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, I was a historical interpreter and re-enactor. For over five years I was responsible for providing dramatic, first-person interpretations that were compelling and educational. The transition into a different role has been challenging, yet rewarding.

I view my current role at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (NURFC) as an opportunity to enhance the museum experience through various programming efforts. Although revealing stories about freedom’s heroes is a constant theme for any role at NURFC, the transition from performer to programmer presented some unforeseen challenges.

In my previous position, I would bring history to life through the stories of great Americans like Rev. J.W. Loguen, King of the Underground Railroad. Through these portrayals, the struggle for freedom is humanized. I would receive feedback from applause, cheers, a handshake, or a tear. Approval of my efforts was immediate. But for a programmer, feedback is measured drastically differently.

My participation in the African American Leadership Development Program (AALDP) has had a profound impact on my transition. Through this program, I gained a greater awareness of the social politics within the city in which I work and live. I have been able to build new relationships with other professionals and establish a network of support. Being the only museum professional in the class, I have been able to be a source of greater understanding of history and culture. I’ve also received productive guidance in regard to health, economics, community service, and personal development. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is how to use my power and influence while remaining authentic and genuine.

We are in the midst of the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War and the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement. There are plenty of timely historical accounts to reflect on, while being challenged and inspired to take greater steps for freedom today.

The program initiative honoring the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington is planned to launch in August.. The goal is to provide an integrated museum experience featuring music, song, spoken word, interactive interpretations, and exhibits in one evening. Through the development of community relationships, this initiative is designed to be an ongoing cultural experience with great possibilities for making history compelling and engaging to a broad audience.

As a manager at NURFC, I continue to tell the stories of freedom’s heroes through program initiatives. But I also have the awesome responsibility of preserving history and reminding our community of matters of enduring social value and cultural relevance.

This post is a part of the AAHC Forum. In the coming months we will invite current and past grantees to contribute their project experiences via blog posts on our UpNext Blog and then ask you to respond through the AAHC Virtual Forum. We hope you will add your voice and share your needs and opinions so that AAHC can continue to help African American museums thrive. Please visit the AAHC forum to continue the conversation.

Introduction: The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was awarded a 2012 African American History and Culture grant to develop an institutional succession plan to provide professional development and training opportunities to mid-level managers and directors in order to enhance their leadership and managerial skills. By developing a succession plan, identifying emerging leaders within the organization, and providing the leadership and management training necessary to enhance management and museum-specific skills, the Freedom Center will increase institutional sustainability, reduce turnover rates, and improve leadership capacity.

By David Howard
Director of Human Resources, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Cincinnati Museum Center

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Cincinnati Museum Center formally announced they were merging in July. As the HR director of the Cincinnati Museum Center I wasn’t aware of the Freedom Center’s IMLS grant until after the merger was completed in early October. At that point I took over as the Freedom Center human resources director and as project leader for the grant.

One of the first challenges I encountered was that we needed to develop a succession plan earlier than we had anticipated. We had to establish a process to find a successor to the current executive director of the Freedom Center who was retiring in 2013. We moved forward with succession planning for the current need but in a manner that would allow us to use the framework we developed as the blueprint for future succession planning for other key roles as well.

The second challenge was that some of the staff who had been chosen for leadership training and development lost their positions due to downsizing, so we had to determine who would replace those employees and whether the current training that had been selected was still applicable without knowing what the formal structure of staffing would be. This presented challenges for the current Freedom Center staff and for me, since I didn’t know all of the staff, what their current roles were, and what their projected roles were.

The grant couldn’t have been more timely for the needs of the Freedom Center. With the downsizing, new leaders need to be developed. Some staff who will be moving into greatly expanded roles don’t have the same work or managerial experience as staff members who were lost. In addition, the need for succession planning is now an immediate need and not just something that is going to be used at some unknown point in the future.

I’m excited about the opportunities for enhancing the mission of the Freedom Center. We are now developing employees who can be long-term staff members, and we are giving them skills to harness their enthusiasm in an effective manner to bring future rewards for the institution.

Leadership, staff development, and the selection of a successor to lead the Freedom Center are key ingredients to fulfilling the mission and the vision of the institution and will be greatly enhanced by the IMLS grant.