LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For nearly three years, a Kentucky museum has represented the African American journey through thousands of artifacts and interactive exhibits.
Roots 101 African American Museum in downtown Louisville has gained national attention over the years. But its CEO and founder, Lamont Collins, said he’d like more support from the community as he plans to expand the space for the second time in its history. Collins opened the museum during the pandemic in 2020. With a plan in mind to make visitors not just viewers of history but parts of it. Now, he’s calling for support larger than the community.
“At a very young age, I knew the importance of telling our story and telling my story. It's not about Black history; it's about American history. I teach the future, not the past. And if I teach the future, we won’t repeat the past,” said Collins.
Collins spends most of his days sifting through photos and artifacts. He’s done just that since he was 11-years-old. The now 64-year-old said he’s thankful to see what his museum has become, but only through the help of people that want him to help preserve Black history.
“As long as people are a part of the story, we will always grow. We have really have outgrown this building, it’s 11,000-square-feet. And we’re nationally recognized," Collins said. "I still have goals to purchase the backside of this building so we can one day own this whole block. How powerful would that be?"
Spectrum News 1 first introduced Collins in 2020 and again in 2021, while he raised money to stay open and expand for the first time. The Louisville native said to date, the museum has over 6,400 artifacts with exhibits called the "Faces of Africa" to the "Protest to Progress," where Breonna Taylor’s permanent memorial is displayed. There are even exhibits paying homage to Black Americans in the music and culture scene. But he said expanding for the second time will take more than community support.
“We talk about equity, but we don’t talk about trust. It’s getting corporations to trust people that look like you, that you have the ability to do what they never thought you could do. Who thought a little Black boy or a Black man would start his own museum without corporations supporting it or giving it the OK?,” said Collins.
Collins said regardless of not having big financial backers, even three years later, they'll continue to tell more Black history for years to come. A study from the Chronicle of Philanthropy found that African Americans who give to charity donate 25% more of their disposable income than do white donors.
“But you know, there was a book about how beautiful the struggle and about how beautiful the Black struggle and the souls of Black folks. That’s what we come from. That’s what we live in,” said Collins.
And it’s with that message that he hopes visitors come not just during the month of February but any month to learn and grow as better people. The museum will host its next free event tonight and Saturday at 6 p.m. titled "Telling Our Stories: A Sankofa Experience." You can find all that information and Collins’ podcast here.