HBCU Museum Opens In Washington, D.C

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A museum that celebrates historically black colleges and universities has made its debut in Washington , D.C. The HBCU museum, located in the space formerly known as the Psychic Gallery, is a hub for cultural artifacts that symbolize the role these institutions have played in educating and uplifting the black community.

This first location in Washington, D.C is serving as a welcome center and founder and executive director Terrence Forte  hopes to attract enough interest to open up a bigger location in D.C and a second location in Atlanta, GA.

HBCUs have been struggling financially and graduation rates have also decreased. Forte said the timing of this museum’s opening happened by chance, but is critical.

“The planning for this has been going on for a long time,” Forte told the Washington Business Journal.  “But [the financial struggles] make it ever so much more important to have it now, so people understand exactly how important HBCUs are not just for the people attending them but for culture in general.”

The opening of the museum, which is a for-profit organization, was funded by his family, including his parents, who are Howard University graduates.

Admission to the museum will be $10.

A major grand opening event is planned for late March or early April.