Charleston, S.C. – The International African American Museum (IAAM) has received an additional $1 million donation from The Boeing Company. This contribution will help thousands of underserved children experience the educational aspects of the museum during its opening year while also helping to support the organization’s broader mission and operations. This most recent gift brings Boeing’s total giving in support of the museum to $2 million. Boeing was the first corporate donor to the museum in 2011.
Boeing’s donation, in part, will make it possible for IAAM to work with partners to allow children and their families the chance to experience the museum free of cost. The museum seeks to honor the untold stories of the African American journey by educating visitors about the realities of the international slave trade and plantation life. The IAAM also explores the cultures and knowledge systems retained and adapted by Africans in the Americas that have been influential across South Carolina, the United States, and the African Diaspora.
“Our ability to ensure that every young person has unfettered access to the museum is one of our top priorities. I’m excited to continue our partnership with Boeing in such a meaningful way,” said Dr. Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum. “With this support, we have the opportunity to meet one of our critical goals, reaching youth from all walks of life. We’re so grateful to our partners at Boeing for their generosity and continued support.”
This past April, representatives from Boeing — including Ziad Ojakli, executive vice president of Government Operations — had the opportunity to visit the future home of the IAAM. In addition to seeing the museum’s progress, the team gained a better understanding of the exhibitions and transformational storytelling that youth will experience.
Following a recent visit to the IAAM site to learn more about the future of the museum, Ojakli said, “At Boeing, advancing racial equity is a key pillar of our community engagement work, and we believe in the International African American Museum’s mission to unlock and honor the untold stories of the African American journey and South Carolina’s history. We are proud to support the museum’s efforts to share those stories with thousands of students. As an active and engaged member of the South Carolina community, we are grateful to IAAM for their partnership, and we look forward to seeing these exhibits and experiences bring these important and impactful stories to life.”
ABOUT THE BOEING COMPANY
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at boeing.com/careers.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
The International African American Museum (IAAM) is home to the African Ancestors Memorial Garden, the Center for Family History genealogy research library, nine core galleries and special exhibition space. The museum explores the African American journey through transformational storytelling of the achievements of African Americans in national and international contexts, exhibiting how the ingenuity, labor, resistance, and culture of a people have shaped every aspect of our world. Located in Charleston, S.C., the museum has reclaimed the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf, one of America’s most prolific slave-trading ports.
The International African American Museum is a champion of authentic, empathetic storytelling of American history and is thus one of the nation’s newest platforms for the disruption of institutionalized racism as it evolves today. Set to open in early 2023, IAAM’s mission is to honor the untold stories of the African American journey at one of our nation’s most sacred sites. The museum is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization. For more information, please visit iaamuseum.org.