DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The African American Cultural and Genealogical Society of Illinois, Inc. Museum announced it purchased a permanent location.
The museum has been without a permanent home for the last 26.5 years, but in late July with the assistance of Central United Methodist Church and the museum's board of trustees they were able to purchase the building location at 235 West Eldorado Street. This is the current location of the museum.
"While we are not preserving homes, we do provide assistance for our community members preserving the stories of the generations of their families and often their contributions to the good of our city or other cities," says Evelyn Hood, Museum Director.
The African American Cultural & Genealogical Society was organized on August 31, 1993, starting with 25 members from Decatur and Central Illinois. Through the years, the museum has helped Macon County African Americans research their families and educated students.
"We enjoy having students from Robertson Charter School, Decatur Public School and The African-American Experience classes at Mount Zion High School taught by Rich Hansen collaborate on various displays in the Museum. It is a great teaching tool for educators, and we would welcome more schools to get involved," says Hood.
The Museum is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm and the First and Third Saturday from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Call (217) 429-7458 for more information.
