Our Mission

Jackie Robinson Exhibit
From our exhibit “Stealing Home: How Jackie Robinson Changed America.”
AAHSNJ 101 Quilts Exhibit
“Alaska Highway” by Karimah Abdusamad from AAHMSNJ’s “101 Quilts Exhibit”
Betty Ann Bembry
Local artist Betty Ann Bembry with one of her many works that have been on exhibit several times.

Embracing Diversity Through Cultural Education

Founded in 2002, The African American Heritage Museum Of Southern New Jersey’s goal is to bring to life the African American experience by documenting the struggle of one group of Americans as they carved out their own place in the wider cultural landscape. With two permanent locations in the heart of Southern New Jersey, a traveling museum with over 12,000 historical and cultural artifacts, and exhibits available for school, community and corporate displays. The museum provides the opportunity to access the history of successive generations of African Americans, while showcasing a uniquely-curated depiction of their cultural evolution.

The African American Heritage Museum boasts an impressive collection of items, including graphics, drawings, paintings, memorabilia advertisements, household and decorative items, that show blacks in a historical context.  In a decade-by-decade account, from Aunt Jemima to Tiger Woods, the museum’s permanent exhibits provide a visual and visceral understanding of how the African American culture has changed over the centuries.

Showcasing New Local Talent

AAHMSNJ  is committed to shining a light on local artists whose extraordinary work may otherwise go unseen.  New Jersey’s African American artist community is vibrant and rich.  The AAHMSNJ is one of the few places talented painters, sculptors, photographers, quilters and more can get hands-on gallery display experience, and the attention and recognition they deserve.