Minnesota African American Museum When Are The Doors Going To Open
Written By: Terry Yzaguirre
As I attended the Tuskegee Airmen Red Tail Squadron “Rise Above” Exhibit in North Minneapolis on Saturday September 8th, 2012 I was surprised to see a table set up at the event for the Minnesota African American Museum (MAAM).
As I grabbed a brochure I thought I might find that some of the history found at the Museum would focus on brothers Harold Brown who flew with the famed Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot group in World War II, and Larry Brown who was part of the ground team as a mechanic for the Tuskegee Airmen group. Both brothers’ were graduates of North High School.
I was not surprised that most of it’s content like there web site focused more on donations, and membership.
With all the publicity this museum has received building up to and including the bushwa grand opening, I was wondering where all the cameras and news teams were on Saturday, September 15th, 2012 considering that Randy Furst latest article “Stalled museum now battles bank” has Roxanne Givens saying that the first and second floors would be open to the public September 15, and the third floor would be completed by the end of the year.
http://m.startribune.com/news/?id=168282396&c=y
I was not going to miss the 2nd opportunity to visit MAAM and check out the history that was not available when I attended the grand opening on Saturday, June 2nd, 2012?
I initially went to MAAM’s website to see what the hours were for this re-opening extravaganza, but nothing was listed. Again, just donate buttons everywhere.
I love history so I took the chance of going anyways as maybe they just don’t bother to update website.
I could not believe how desolate it looked. How did it go from looking all prim and proper on June 2nd, 2012 to a house that looked like it would be included on a drive by bus tour of something that once was in the history books. It looked like a haunted house that was abandoned after a last hurrah.
The front gate half opened half closed with torn apart blue party ribbons blowing in the wind. Fencing missing that would keep people out of the yard. Mail hanging out of the mailbox, with holes for lights along side of the doors with wiring exposed. The front porch is unkempt with dirt and dust all over the place, and planters tipped over.
An old TV sits out in the side yard of dirt as rolled up sod all dried up and brown makes one think about the waist.
I was just as shocked to see what the inside looked like as I peered through the windows. It was empty and dirty with dust all over the floor as painter buckets sat as though they had been left in the middle of a job.
The walls were bare, and nothing was visible to even closely resemble a museum or any form of life for that matter-taking place in this historic building. The only thing worth looking at that is historical is the placard on the brick entrance wall of this being the Coe House.
Just how many glimpses and grand openings and media write-ups does millions of dollars pay for exactly?
Contrary to what Givens told Furst in latest article, I guess on the 15th day of September the Minnesota African American Museum doors were once again closed. When is Givens going to be held accountable to follow through with her empty words? Just when is this Museum that keeps on taking finally going to open its doors and give back?
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/154575905.html?refer=y
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/130513538.html?refer=y
http://thelinemedia.com/devnews/africanamericanmuseum060612.aspx
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/06/06/long-overdue-black-museum-dedicated
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