Seattle African American museum reopens Monday, first time since pandemic, to honor MLK

After nearly three years, the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle is re-opening to the public on Monday, with a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The physical space closed in 2020 for the pandemic and renovations.

KUOW’s Kim Malcolm spoke with NAAM's President and CEO LaNesha DeBardelaben about what it means to host visitors and community members in person again.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

LaNesha DeBardelaben: That we have this opportunity to regather back into the space, the hub, at the corner of 23rd and Massachusetts in Seattle’s Central District is cause for extreme celebration.

We have been a very resilient organization and we are going to celebrate that resilience, that persistence in fulfilling our mission. And we're going to celebrate it on Dr. King Day. It is one of the most significant Black Cultural holidays of the year. King Day reminds us all to stay committed to building that more beloved community that his life exemplified so beautifully.

Kim Malcolm: For people who’ve been before, what's different now?

We have been able to refresh and renovate a few key spots in the museum. We have a new community living room where African American art, literature, and music will be centered for folks to just come and relax and be together. We also have beautiful new exhibitions.

We have created a ‘Hallway of Healing and Hope,’ which aligns with our new focus. We strive to use Black heritage to cultivate healing and hope. So, we've designated an entry space to tell the story of what healing and hope can look like in our community.

I understand there's a new emphasis on visual art from local Black artists. Tell us about that.

NAAM is delighted to partner with a few key Black artist collectives, such as the Onyx Fine Arts Collective. There will be five African American artists from that collective on display in our community living room. We also have curated a beautiful new show called ‘The Colors of Life,’ featuring four abstract artists of African descent.

They will be displayed here on King Day and through Juneteenth. We also have an exhibit called ‘A Long Walk to Hope,’ commemorating the 40th annual King Day march here in Seattle. We showcase that history through photographs. And lastly, we will showcase the artwork of Jacob Lawrence.

Tell us about the celebration you have planned for King Day.

We will have all-day food trucks and children's activities, and film screenings from 11 to 5. We will have a keynote program at 1 pm featuring a conversation with nationally acclaimed actor and activist Jesse Williams, who has produced a documentary called ‘Stay Woke.’ He will be joining us via interactive video to have a conversation with our community about activism. We have a variety of local talent, spoken word artists, a DJ, a local hip-hop historian, and our own museum choir will be singing. An after-party starts at 5 pm and it will be celebrating this grand reopening in a grand way.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.