Editing African American Museum (section)

== History ==

=== Founding ===

Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo supported creating an African American museum as part of the nation's 1976 Bicentennial celebration. The museum opened on July 4, 1976, as the first museum dedicated to African American history and culture built by a major American city.

The timing was significant: Philadelphia has one of the oldest and largest African American communities in the United States, with history stretching back to the colonial era.

=== Mission ===

AAMP's mission is to tell the story of African Americans from the African diaspora through art, history, and culture, with emphasis on the Philadelphia region's rich African American heritage.