02/17/2026
Feb. 17th - Black History Month Business Challenge RI - DAY #17:
We Celebrate, The New “African American Museum of RI” AAMRI
“Our mission is to educate, inspire, and foster a deeper understanding of the African American experience through engaging exhibits, dynamic programs, and community outreach. We recognize and honor the diverse African diasporas represented in Rhode Island, including those with roots in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.”
Under the brilliant leadership of Helen Baskerville-Dukes and the co-founders, AAMRI was created because they recognized something vital: “young people’s needs are met when we root them in the histories of their own communities, help them build workforce-ready skills, and give them a platform to find and document their voices.”
This is a very different museum model. We recognize and respect the vast collections of material culture, community memory, and organic historians already living in Rhode Island’s Black communities but certainly feel the need for much more…
AAMRI understands how the neighborhood - narratives can play in shaping young lives.
Primary example: “The great Billy Taylor used to share his stories at a particular Providence spot. A young person researches that history, builds an archive documenting it, and now their work sits as a visual exhibition in the African American Museum of Rhode Island. That young person sees themselves in history, they are seen differently by their community, and they act with confidence through the world.”
This interactive historic interpretation model will help with the active engagement of black youth and families
throughout RI and beyond…
“History doesn’t happen to us. We make it, we shape it, and at AAMRI, we pass it forward.”
The Black History Month challenge is designed for the entire RI COMMUNITY as a vital part of Black history, culture, and economic empowerment—past, present, and future to participate.
The Black History Month challenge encourages community members, organizations, and institutions to intentionally support RI Black-owned businesses / programs throughout the month of February and POST ABOUT IT!!