Museum Promises a Lifetime of Learning

Photo by Chris Seward

Retirement has brought no let-up for NEA-Retired members Elliot and Juanita Palmer. The couple co-founded the African American Cultural Complex (AACC) in Raleigh, North Carolina nearly twenty years ago, and they've hardly had a vacation since.

Built in 1984 and run entirely by the Palmers and a handful of volunteers, the AACC is the most comprehensive resource center on African-American history in the United States. For their creation of this vital resource--as well as their lifelong work for educational equity--the Palmers were honored with the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award at the NEA's July Representative Assembly in New Orleans.

The need for heightened African American cultural awareness was painfully evident to the Palmers after teaching for a combined 64 years in the Durham County public school system. "We had both been teaching all kinds of history lessons," explains Elliot Palmer, "but we didn't think the curriculum offered sufficient information on African-American history." Elliot and Juanita took matters into their own hands after retiring in 1982 and 1989, respectively. With their own money, they built the museum facilities--complete with a nature trail, three cottages to hold museum exhibitions, and an amphitheatre--on their three-acre property.

"There's so little information available, even today," Juanita Palmer says, "so we defined the mission of the AACC as covering the full expanse of African American history." Displays of relics from African American pre-urban villages, replicas of some of George Washington Carver's 365 inventions, lectures on Black cowboys and photographs of revolutionary African American women in politics are just a few of the treasures provided free of cost to more than 100,000 annual visitors.

Further enriching the AACC experience is its acclaimed presentation of The Amistad Saga: Reflections, the only outdoor drama in America written, directed, and produced by and about African America. "When I discovered the Amistad story, I almost flipped," admits Elliot Palmer. "I had never heard of anything like that."

"It's an example of how we're learning as we go," Juanita continues. "One day we were at the library doing research, and we just came back so excited about integrating our discovery into our museum."

In addition to organizing the Amistad production, and to the daily personal museum tours they lead, the Palmers run an extensive mobile outreach program that has involved local businesses, rest homes, correctional facilities, institutes for the mentally and physically impaired, and more than 1,200 schools in the past year alone. Through the AACC, they've also established a statewide African American grade-school history contest with scholarship prizes.

"Seeing the faces of the young children who have no clue about all the inventions and accomplishments African-Americans have contributed is one of the most rewarding parts of our work," Juanita Palmer insists.

"When we see how far people travel to learn about their heritage, and how many other ethnic groups come to learn about African-American culture, we know we're doing a good job," adds Elliot Palmer.

Elliot, 70, was an original member of the NEA Black Caucus and has been honored by the United Nations and the NEA Joint Committee for his work preserving employment for Black educators. Among his many accomplishments, he is credited with having entered into the courts more lawsuits challenging desegregation laws and protecting the rights of educators than any single person in history.

Juanita, 66, was the first African- American teacher to desegregate the Chapel Hill school system and has contributed to community and social services throughout her teaching years.

The Palmers' unwavering dedication to the AACC is made evident by their hopes for continued museum expansion. And as for vacations? Laughs Mrs. Palmer, "We used to be open every Christmas day and every Thanksgiving because they were particularly busy days but now we take those days for our families. Other than that, we don't get a vacation."

--Tamara Zakim

For More

For more information about the African-American Cultural Complex, write to 119 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27910.

Also, NEA encourages you to honor individuals and affiliates for their human and civil rights contributions by nominating them for a 2004 Human and Civil Rights Award. Visit http://www.nea.org/annualmeeting/hcrawards to download nomination materials. The deadline to submit nominations is December 15, 2003.