Who is NAAM?
The Northwest African American Museum has served the greater Seattle community for over a decade. Since 2009, NAAM’s exhibitions, programming, and operations have been led by Black women at the helm as executive directors with a majority Black staff in leadership roles. As a young museum, NAAM has remained steadfastly committed to centering the needs of Black people and ensuring that our immediate community thrives around us as we all fight against injustice, racism, gentrification, and other compounded oppressions. Because of the work of hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers, activists, who joined a significant struggle many years ago, we have now, in 2020, an incredible Museum with award-winning exhibitions, stellar programs, and an organization for the sole purpose of presenting Black art, history and culture. Not without flaws or challenges, NAAM is a testament to the struggle and the people who enabled NAAM to be here now. NAAM’s existence is an act of resistance to white supremacy culture and racism today.
The driving ethos of NAAM is rooted in partnership and collaboration. The Museum continues to grow and take shape by being a part of and deeply tied to Black-owned businesses, vendors, artists, entrepreneurs, fellow Black-led arts organizations and so many others in the Central District and beyond. As an arts and culture organization, we’ve not only opened exhibitions by scores of local and national artists, we’ve also created social spaces for Black joy, Black healing, and been a place where people can be their full selves and fully valued. NAAM keeps its money in the community as much as possible, we buy Black. Most importantly, and central to NAAM’s core is that the Black experience is extremely diverse, all members of our community have been invited in as part of NAAM’s evolution and growth. This fact is seen in NAAM’s programming and exhibitions that have historically been produced by and for Black people who center QTBIPOC (Queer Trans Black Indigenous People of Color) community members, because Black Trans Lives Matter, Black Queer Lives Matter and our Black Lives Matter.
Beyond accolades, awards, and external validation, at the end of the day, NAAM is for the people. At this moment, NAAM as an art, culture and history organization is navigating the challenges posed by COVID-19. While we are currently closed following the Washington State COVID-19 guidelines, NAAM will continue to operate, adapt, and elevate a platform to honor the creative and intellectual creations of Black people.
Proudly, NAAM is a Black organization in a historically Black community in the Central District of Seattle, Washington. We are still accountable to our mission of service and to our community. If you have questions about this message or about NAAM’s evolution as an organization, please contact us at info@naamnw.org.
