Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Visits Buffalo

The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor (the Corridor) hosted the The Robert F. Smith Center for the Digitization and Curation of the African American His tory (the Smith Center) from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Ameri can History and Culture.

The Smith Center con sists of four components including the Community Curation Program (CCP), the Great Migration Home Movie Project (GMHMP), the Fellowship Program and the on-site Family History Center (FHC). All four com ponents are rooted in com munity collaboration, accessibility of collections and histories, continuing education, and genealogical support for institutional and community partners.

Since 2017, the Smith team has collaborated with institutions, families, and emerging professionals in the field throughout the country to establish a collective of communities pre serving local histories throughout the country. Past projects have taken place in New Orleans, Nashville, and St. Louis.

The Corridor hosted a conversation with the Smith Center and key stakeholders to introduce the Community Curation Project to Buffalo and be gin planning for the project to come here in 2025, May 16, 2024, at the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corri dor, 136 Broadway St, Suite 101, Buffalo.