After eight years in its current location on Monroe Center Street in downtown Grand Rapids, the
Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives, also known as GRAAMA, is ready for bigger things.
GRAAMA’s 2,000-square-foot space isn’t adequate for the programs and collections that have contributed to the museum’s growth, let alone additional events and resources it wants to provide.
As a result, GRAAMA is conducting a capital campaign with the goal of raising $3 million needed to move to a larger space – and maybe more. The campaign was announced at GRAAMA’s first fundraising gala in December, and the museum expects to announce a projected relocation date by the end of the year.
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GRAAMAStudents visit GRAAMA.
George A. Bayard III is the executive director and curator of the museum, which opened in December 2015. His wife, Deborah Pryor-Bayard, is the executive director and curator.
Why GRAAMA?
The Bayards describe GRAAMA as the historical archive of the African American people of Grand Rapids.
“We are also storytellers,” Bayard says. “We are the people who relay these stories to the next generations. Our whole thing is getting to the truth and making sure that is passed on to the next generation.”
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GRAMMAGRAAMA launches $3 million campaign to preserve and share Grand Rapids’ Black history.
GRAAMA’s archives tell different stories from what may be found at libraries or other museums in the city. One goal of these stories is to not lose sight of Black history, which Pryor-Bayard points out is a part of American history.
“Our history, many times in the general media, is distorted, lost, changed, and told from another point of view, so the real truth gets diminished,” Pryor-Bayard says. “So, what you are left with are fables and stories that don’t connect to the truth.”
What will expansion bring?
The expansion will ensure patrons will still have access to current activities, such as bus trips and movie events, as well as access to more collections, some of which are in storage due to the lack of space.
GRAAMA, which has always been free to the public, will probably add an admissions fee and membership opportunities with its expansion. Bayard adds that taking it to this next level may also require federal funding, along with donations from local corporations and foundations.
Pryor-Bayard says that collaborations with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and other
fundraising partners will be part of this expansion. Future events and trips that will serve as
fundraisers, she says, will also help participants find their roots and learn about their history.
An example of such trips is the “Never to Be Erased” bus excursion and fundraiser last fall that made stops at four major museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Fifty participants of all ages engaged in storytelling and shared both positive and negative life experiences and memories.
“It wasn’t just the traveling around the country,” Pryor-Bayard says. “It was the bus ride; the exchange.”
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GRAMMAThe entrance of GRAAMA at 87 Monroe Center St NW in downtown Grand Rapids.
Pryor-Bayard, who also serves as education supervisor, engages youth through
collaborations between GRAAMA and local schools for various events.
Training young people in exhibit designing is another goal, Bayard says. The museum is currently seeking a designer to assist in preparing youth for such opportunities, including internships. In addition, more staffing will be needed to implement new programs and events they have in mind.
Keeping the history alive
Bayard adds they have many things under their hats that they do not plan to release
until the relocation is set, but he hopes the museum will be on the cutting edge in comparison to similar museums in the state.
“It will be a first-class, top-of-the-line, high-tech African American museum,” he says.
During a time when Black history is being forced out of school curricula, the Bayards emphasize the need for that history to be taught and not lost – making GRAAMA’s presence in Grand Rapids more crucial.
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GRAAMAStudent listen to a presentation at GRAAMA.
Pryor-Bayard stresses the intentionality of referring to the museum as “GRAAMA,” saying the name represents how we turn to and honor our grandmas/grandmothers, who are the holders of our history.
“That is why we need GRAAMA – so our stories are not hidden; so that they are uncovered, celebrated, and passed on to the next generation,” she says.
GRAMMA offers tours, hosts family reunion visits, rents space for activities, and more. It welcomes donations, including archives and collections. For further information, visit:
https://linktr.ee/graamagr.
Photos provided by GRAMMA