The concept of a national museum dedicated to African American history and culture can be traced back to the second decade of the 20th century.

Frustrated with the racial discrimination they still faced, the veterans formed a committee to build a memorial to various African American achievements.

Although proposals for an African American history and culture museum would be floated in Congress for the next 40 years, none gained more than minimal support.

[1] It would ultimately take until 2016 for these efforts to be successful with the opening of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

[8] The museum houses the papers of Ira Tucker, a singer with the important gospel music group the Dixie Hummingbirds.

[13] In November 2011, the museum received a major donation of papers, letters, photographs, and memorabilia from the estate of Colonel Charles Young.

This exhibit featured photographs and letters of nearly 400 newly emancipated people who journeyed from Charlotte County, Virginia, to Ohio's Miami Valley.

The museum had suffered from roof leaks for some time, and mold was found to have widely infested the building's HVAC system.