On July 11, 2011, the public was welcomed through the doors of the new Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Heritage Museum. The 14,800-square-foot facility located in Chennault Park was the dream of Nancy Taylor Johnson. Museum director Lorraine Slacks stated Taylor’s vision ” … was to bring people together and build a commemorative African American museum that would provide historical, cultural and educational information about African American contributions, which had enriched the lives of all people.”
In 1994 Johnson began laying the groundwork for the museum when she helped organize the Northeast Louisiana African American Historical Society. Its members met at the Liller M. Marbles Community Center to gather articles and documents chronicling the accomplishments of African Americans in northeastern Louisiana.
Johnson was instrumental in the opening of the museum in its original location on Plum Street. She worked tirelessly to garner financial support for the project to build a permanent home for the museum.
She did not live to see the building in Chennault Park, nor its wealth of art, displays and information. When Johnson died in 2001, Slacks moved to the forefront of the cause. She and a dedicated group of supporters worked with the city of Monroe and the local legislative delegation to secure the funding for the $3.2 million museum.
Source: The News Star
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