America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee

Submitted by: Barbara Ruggeri

In 2026, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) the organization which founded Black History Month, will celebrate February 2026 under the theme “A Century of Black History Commemorations.” This invites reflection on the importance of Black history, a vital piece of American history, as well as the ongoing need to remember and continue telling these stories. 

One Milwaukee institution which brings this theme to life is America’s Black Holocaust Museum, located less than two miles from the Baird Center, the site of MLA ’26. Founded in 1988 by James Cameron, a survivor of a lynching and a lifelong educator, the museum documents the history of racial violence against Black Americans through photographs, primary sources, and narrative exhibits. Inspired by a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, Dr. Cameron believed that honest documentation and public access to information about slavery and Jim Crow in the United States were essential to acknowledging the past and creating a path toward reconciliation.    

Visitors can learn more about planning an in-person visit or exploring the museum’s extensive virtual exhibits online.