Your Community, Your Story: Celebrating Five Decades of the Anacostia Community Museum, 1967-2017
Anacostia Neighborhood Museum Youth Advisory Council: Under the leadership of Zora Martin Felton, director of education and chief advisor, the museum’s Youth Advisory Council was developed in 1967 to engage young people in the work of the museum and the community. Council members participated in all museum activities and created an intensive African American heritage and community service program with museum staff. (Courtesy Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution)
Washington, DC
For fifty years, the Anacostia Community Museum (ACM) has pushed the boundaries of what “museum” means. Conversations with neighbors have shaped exhibitions and programs. Collections preserve the stories of everyday people.
Today, with a focus on contemporary urban themes, ACM continues to investigate shared experiences, mutual interests, and agreed-upon goals. Museum activities reach deep into local networks to identify key issues, seek out new ideas, gather diverse voices, and promote conversations that generate social impact.
Your Community, Your Story highlights some of the museum’s signature projects and demonstrates how ACM’s work helps us understand city life and strengthen community bonds.