History
The Davis Avenue Branch of the Mobile Public Library was built in 1931 to serve the needs of the local African American community. The building was modeled after the Ben May Main Library but constructed on a smaller scale. The local African American community helped collect used books for the library and raise funds for the acquisition of new books. This reflected the social reality of segregation, when African Americans were prevented from participating fully in educational endeavors and were provided with separate educational facilities. Following desegregation, this branch library became a repository for government documents. In 1992 it reopened as the National African American Archives and Museum. It was founded by Delores S. Dees, the organization's first president and executive director. The museum building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by noted architect George Bigelow Rogers.
Read more about this topic: National African American Archives And Museum
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