WhoWeAre
The untold history of San Antonio’s African descendants is rich and intricately tied to the stories of Spaniards, Mexicans, Germans and Canary Island populations who helped build this great city. The San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) is working in a grassroots effort to uncover the legacy that reaches back to the early days of the Spanish colonists and Texas Republic
SAAACAM ensures the region's history is shared holistically with an African descendant lens. Individuals are empowered to curate their own archives and cultivate a community-driven museum of digitized, audiovisual exhibits. Collective legacies are compiled and interpreted in the context of the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and the entire southwestern United States. SAAACAM serves as a proactive steward of cultural and physical preservation of historic African descendant resources.
SAAACAM is a member of the Association of African American Museums, the American Alliance of Museums, the American Association for State and Local History, Texas Association of Museums, the North American Reciprocal Museum Program and the Oral History Association.
SAAACAM stands alone in its purpose and commitment!
DISTINCT QUALITIES
First museum in San Antonio with a focus on the history of African descendants
Accessible digital archives
Acknowledging historic contributions of African descendants
African descendant history research
Community driven
Curriculum development advisors
Essence Preparatory School
San Antonio Independent School District
Collaborative local partnerships
Higher Education
Alamo College District
St. Mary’s University
St Philip’s College
Texas A & M San Antonio
Trinity University
University of Texas San Antonio
Government/Civic
Bexar County
Carver Community Cultural Center
Centro San Antonio
City of San Antonio
Department of Art & Culture
Office of Historic Preservation
San Antonio Public Library
Hemisfair
National Park Service
Visit San Antonio Culture
American Indian in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions
Conservation Society of San Antonio
DreamWeek
Smithsonian Institution
Witte Museum
Our Core Values
LOVE|RESPECT|EXCELLENCE|GROWTH|STEWARDSHIP|CREATIVITY
“What has impacted me to grow by leaps and bounds to reach for the stars has been the fact that our leadership cares about us as a whole person. They care about our professional, and personal development and toss in a little fun into the mix as well. Our CEO sat down with each member of the leadership team, who she affectionately calls, "The Dream Team", and helped us identify our strengths. How could you not be affected, impacted in the best way possible?”
-- Debra Seward, Community Engagement Coordinator
BlackHistoryArtMarket@LaVillita: UniquelyShowcasingValuesinAction
The art market impacted the community positively in many ways Games highlighted Black history makers in San Antonio, educating the youth (and their families).
Increased exhibit space attendance provided learning opportunities and cultural exchanges for a diverse group of people
We created a place for Black artists and artisans to showcase their work and talent.
We created economic empowerment opportunities for artists and our downtown community of San Antonio/ La Villita (including by our village wide scavenger hunt which brought people to different shops all over the village )
We engaged the youth (and the community) through fun participatory art. The community painting and the large tree eliciting an enhanced feeling of creativity and community
We shared more black history and culture through the blues musician that performed.
It was also a beautiful day to be outside with family
--Taylor Foots, Exhibit Space Supervisor
OurImpact
In January 2024, SAAACAM purchased the historic Kress Building in downtown San Antonio This five-story landmark, significant in the city's civil rights history, is set to become one of the largest African American museums in the country upon its opening in 2027 The new facility will feature over 20,000 square feet of exhibition space, an auditorium, event space, and a boutique hotel, aiming to generate substantial revenue to support the museum ' s mission. -- Spectrum Local News
“In January 2024, SAAACAM hosted its first Legacy Awards Ball at The Mays Center in the Witte Museum. This fundraiser honored four community pillars in activism, leadership, medicine, and legal fields. The event featured culinary delights from local Black chefs, live music, and both live and silent auctions, engaging the community and raising funds for the museum ' s initiatives.”
“SAAACAM collaborates with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture to preserve local Black culture. This partnership focuses on digital preservation, ensuring that deteriorating materials like VHS tapes and cassettes are digitized and accessible for future generations.” - Spectrum Local News
In June 2024, SAAACAM partnered with ReBokeh, a technology company specializing in low-vision accessibility. Through this collaboration, the museum offers an iOS-based app that allows visually impaired visitors to customize visual settings, enhancing their experience and ensuring inclusivity.
KSAT (ABC Affiliate)
THEARCHIVE: COLLECTING,PRESERVING&SHARING
ENHANCED ACCESSIBILITY
In May of 2024 we debuted SAAACAM’s ContentDM digital database to the community! This event not only brought me to tears in a positive way (We received positive feedback and constructive criticism!) and also brought SAAACAM one step closer to making San Antonio’s Black history available to everyone.
SHOWCASING SAAACAM TO THE WORLD
“The archive department attended a civil rights Alabama Learning Lab created by the Empower Initiative and five field-related conferences: Association of African American Museums, Society of American Archivists, Association of State and Local History (AASLH), Oral History Association (OHA) and the Ode to Juneteenth Conference on Slavery to network and gain industry knowledge. The department presented at two of those conferences, first on my own at AASLH with “Walking the Walk: Engaging Community through Participatory Archivism” and secondly with SAAACAM’s CEO Deborah Omowale Jarmon, Community Engagement Coordinator Debra Seward, and Church History Harvest Coordinator Gwyn Hartung with “Hallelujah! A Black Church History Harvest Project in San Antonio, TX” at OHA ”
-- Caira Spenrath, Archivist
LANDMARK YEAR IN DEVELOPING BLACK SAN ANTONIO’S STORY THROUGH DONATIONS
In 2024, there were 74 accessions (new additions to our collection) an average of 6 donations per month with each instance typically (though not always) comprising multiple items. Our largest artifact donation was the Jonnie O. Watson Keepsake Collection with almost fifty artifacts; we are currently still processing the collection so that number may climb! Our largest donation by size was a 100 year old Grand Prix baby grand piano formerly owned by Bernice Bland local music legend and wife of Artman E Bland Our oldest donation by age was probably the 1852 first edition second printing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Caira assessing the Jonnie O. Watson Keepsake Collection
2024PROGRAMMING
Education
Black History River Tours Public & Charters, (year-round)
Pop-Up Exhibits All Over Town, (year-round)
IKEA Legacy Exhibition for Black History Month, Q1
Honoring Lincoln Elementary School Exhibition & Discussion - Edgewood Indpendant School District, Q1
New Light Baptist Church History Harvest, Q1
Public History: Spotlight on SA, Q2
Home Base Heroes - Honoring the South Texas Negro League Exhibition & Discussion, Q2
Conqueror’s Assembly Church History Harvest, Q2
Smithsonian Partnership with the Center for Religion and Culture, Q2
City Cemetery #3 Tour, Q3
Holy Redeemer Church History Harvest, Q3
The Bias Within Us Panel Discussion, Q4
The Bias Inside Us Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition @ St Philip’s College, Q4
Black Brilliance: The Suttons, Q4
History Harvest:Community Roots & Black Brilliance, Q4
PROGRAM ENGAGEMENT
“It was definitely informative I learned about the school to prison pipeline & how schools are implementing social emotional counselors to provide more support in schools.”
Studentattending“OnTheseGrounds” Documentary-BlackHistoryFilmSeries
2024PROGRAMMING
CulturalEnrichment
StoryTime in the Park, (year-round)
Black History Film Series (monthly)
Book Talk: Black Reparations Project, Q1
A Conversation with Two Presidents, Q1
Carver Youth Matinee, Q2
A Night of Soul at La Villita, Q2
Freedom?! Celebrating Juneteenth at the Tobin, Q2 Freedom?! Screening, Q3
Community Charette: The New SAAACAM Comes to Life!, Q3
Gathering of Community Historians, Q3
Blessing of the Kress-Grant Building by Local Pastors, Q3
Book Talk: Black Woman, Ivory Tower, Q4
Carver Youth Matinee, Q4
The Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past, National Conversation on Race, Q4
Holidays at La Villita, Q4
Holidays in the Park, Q4
EconomicEmpowerment
1st Annual Legacy Awards Ball
Black History River Tours Cemetery Tours
“This was the best gala I have attended in a long time! The food was incredible, the band was great, the auction was fun and it seemed profitable”
-Legacy Awards Ball Attendee
SAAACAM PRESENTS ITS FIRST LEGACY AWARDS BALL
IT’SNOTD.E.I.,IT’SHISTORY!
Education
SAAACAM's collaborative research on slavery with St. Mary's University and Casa Navarro culminated in a pop-up exhibit and documentary film This community event hosted at the Casa Navarro was the first time information on slavery had ever been displayed in the historic home. Descendants of Jose Antonio Navarro were in attendance and appreciated the care in which we told a truthful yet complicated story of their ancestor as an enslaver Moments like this bring about healing in our community
Cultural Enrichment
“Everything I’ve done with y’all has been amazing! The charette was encouraging, inspiring, wonderful and community building! Thank you ”
-Jocelyn Moody, PhD
Sue E Denman Distinguished Chair in American Literature, UTSA
Community Historian Charrette - The community's input has been invaluable to building the new museum Our charrettes offer the community a seat at the table and an opportunity to share what's important to them. The community is the main ingredient to building a museum filled with truth, joy, and love.
CristalMendez Historian
HISTORYEVERYWHERE!
“In September of 2024, Archivist Caira Spenrath and I tabled for an event which was a collaboration between the Camp Founder Girls organization (the first summer camp in the nation for Black girls) and Black Outside, Inc, a non profit committed to connecting African American youth to the outdoors. Unlike other museums, at SAAACAM we put ourselves within the community and in nature.”
LeeDenney,Researcher&TrinityUniversityStudent
“We enjoyed having SAAACAM at our Homecoming event where they helped create a welcoming & educational community for our attendees ”
“The Historic New Light Baptist Church was thrilled to partner with SAAACAM to preserve our history We collected so much of our church history! This experience allowed us to look back at our history The retrospective helped to provide a roadmap for our future Thank you SAAACAM!”
-Angela Wilkinson, wife of Pastor Paul Wilkinson
“They were so excited when they received their pop-up exhibit that they set it up in the sanctuary and haven't taken it down since (at least, as far as I know). It was humbling that this amazing church was so excited about something I worked on and would be displayed in the holiest place; the church.”
“Black Brilliance: The Story of the Suttons was a collaboration with UTSA Democratizing Racial Justice. It was standing room only and everyone was riveted by the Sutton descendants and the story of their families. The event increased the awareness of the Carver Library branch as well as increased the awareness of the Sutton family in general. I think that it made the public realize that everyday people can become extraordinary through hard work and perseverance. ”
- Natalynn Masters, Camp Founder Girls | Director
CULTURALENRICHMENTNEAR&FAR
The Green Book: Guide to Freedom Film Series, Little Carver San Antonio
Each monthly film series installment provides a look at the past followed by a discussion about how it relates to us as a community currently.
San Antonio had over 80 locations of “Safe Spots for Negro Motorists” The presentation of the Green Book documentary provided guests the opportunity to learn about the multicultural community that aided Negro motorists during the Jim Crow era
The panelists included the film director, Yoruba Richen and the creator of “Green Book Global”, founder Lawrence Phillips. Lawrence created an app that “enables Black travelers to plan trips with confidence and less anxiety by providing usergenerated insights from the Black perspective...”
“This was so good! I loved the fact that I could learn about the past through the film AND learn about the modern day version of the historic Green Book!”
-Green Book Film Series Attendee
US Embassy & Oxford Cultural Collective Panel Discussion - Glasgow, Scotland
The story of African descendants includes the horrors of human trafficking Enslaved people were taken from their homeland and shipped worldwide to build economies Our stories are connected by skin color, experiences and food! San Antonio’s African American community roots reach to the United Kingdom as the digital desktop exhibit below explains.
A panel discussion at the University of Glasgow before an audience of 150 invited media, culinary leaders and educators explored how cities reconcile with their past. The discussion used food as a lens through which to explore the enforced movement of people, the cultural legacy of those who were enslaved, the empowerment of communities that have faced prejudice, and the role of our diverse, creative food communities in redefining cities and forging a positive future.
Pictured from left to right: San Antonio’s Chef Nicola Blaque Massey, Michelle Charters the chair of the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, Dr Peggy Brunache the director of the University of Glasgow’s Beniba Center for Slavery Studies , and SAAACAM’s CEO Deborah Omowale Jarmon
Pictured from left to right: Leroy Adams founder of Culture Travels, SAAACAM PROGRAM Director Heather Williams, Yoruba Richen, Lawrence Philips, and SAAACAM CAO Jeff May
EDUCATION
UTSA
In collaboration with the University of Texas at San Antonio, SAAACAM offered its first course with the African American Studies department. The focus of the fall semester course was to have students understand and analyze the socio-political landscape of the United States during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights era, including the historical context in which the Green Book was created and its significance for African American travelers. Also, students researched San Antonio’s green book sites utilizing primary and secondary sources to uncover stories and experiences of African American travelers during the Green Book era UTSA students were able to make connections on how the current socio-political landscape of the U S is very similar to the present-day landscape The course provides students a safe space to unpack the ugly sides of history, as well as recognize the resilience, brilliance and joy their ancestors carried
-- Dakotah Brown & Pesha Mabrie
“Thanks to SAAACAM and its devoted supporters, 200 students at St Mary’s University spent this year digging deep and pushing hard to research the history of San Antonio’s Black foremothers and forefathers and the San Antonians who enslaved them Welcome home, ancestral San Antonia's! We honor your work and lives
Our rallying cry, ‘Sankofa - in order to move forward, we must go back ’ Current students add their contributions to the research completed by their predecessor peers May our work in the university support SAAACAM’s work in the world ”
- Teresa Van Hoy, PhD, History Department St Mary’s University
SAISD
“I was invited to speak to some amazing 4th and 5th grade students at Ester Perez Carvajal Elementary school in Feburary about the importance of celebrating Black History and the accomplishments of African Americans all year long! This was an important speaking engagement for SAAACAM as this particular school had no black teachers or staff members and for many of these students this was their first exposure to a black man and even an in depth discussion regarding black history. These young people were not only amazed and enlightened regarding the various achievements of African Americans but it gave them a new appreciation for their fellow black students and others they might see and interact within their community. I am confident that the narrative changed that day for many of them and that was hopefully enhanced with the various conversations that took place within their homes that evening. “
--Jeff May Jr.
APLACETOCALLHOME: KRESS&GRANTDEPARTMENTSTORES
SAAACAM's new home will avail 31,000 square feet to accommodate thousands of guests, showcase local entrepreneurs and artists, host memorable programs and events and employ 80 staff upon opening.
Open daily, the Cultural Center will showcase our history and culture across ## exhibit spaces, anchor our educational programs across two dedicated classrooms, accommodate scholars and researchers interested in accessing our physical and digital archives in a research library
With a keen eye on our sustainability, the Cultural Center will enable SAAACAM to earn revenue through several social enterprises -- our museum shop which will showcase local small businesses, a cafe which will host a chef-in-residence program in partnership with local higher-education institutions, two flexible event spaces and lastly, our most ambitious social-enterprise, and a 12-room boutique hotel
The Kress and Grant Department store buildings' have historic designation through the Texas Historical Commission and National Park Service, and most recently were inducted into the African American Civil Rights Network. Kicking off a $70M capital campaign in 2023, SAAACAM has since secured $11.5M to purchase the buildings. In 2024, SAAACAM invested $2M to remediate the buildings in preparation for design and construction A recent $770,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment, will support the exhibit spaces We aim to open in 2027
APLACETOCALLHOME
With the convening of 2 community charettes, over 60 community historians spent August through October researching the information for 4 exhibition halls containing 18 exhibits and one mezzanine exhibition to create the visitor experience. Funded in part by Lilly Endowment Fund Inc. the new exhibits are taking shape
ThemesoftheExhibit TRANSFORMATION
Blending African roots with Indigenous, Mexican, and European influences, Black communities in San Antonio and the Southwest have continually reshaped their identity. This theme also explores how shifting demographics and landscapes have influenced these transformations CITIZENSHIP
African descendants have long navigated the complexities of American citizenship, overcoming systemic barriers such as segregation and civil rights denial. This theme highlights activism, community organization, and the fight to redefine citizenship on their own terms.
PERSISTENCE
Despite adversity, African descendants in this region have shown remarkable resilience This theme celebrates their unbreakable spirit, resistance against oppression, and commitment to social progress HEALING
Reconciliation, remembrance, and reimagining the future are central to this theme. Healing acknowledges past injustices while showcasing how community-led efforts foster resilience, solidarity, and hope.
Opening in 2027. Step inside to experience history in a whole new way.
InvestingInOurStory:
HowYourSupportFuelsourMission
“I am thrilled to work on this project with SAAACAM and the community. Our collective work will leave a legacy of persistence, resistance, brilliance and excellence! Thank you SAAACAM for choosing me and Overland Partners as your architect partners,”
-Gregory Street, SAAACAM Cultural Center Lead Architect
YourSupportisKey!
SAAACAM is currently renting space in three locations (not including program space) while funding our new home. The move into our new home will lower our operating expenses while centralizing and increasing our exhibitions, programs, archive, collections and operations. 48% of our new home will provide mission-aligned revenue to SAAACAM.
This year, we move out of the silent capital fundraising into the LOUD “Beat the Drum” phase. Help us reach our $50 million fundraising goal. Donate today!
Acknowledgements
Major Donors (more than $10,000)
Alamo College District
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Andrew Mellon Foundation
Bexar County
City of San Antonio
H-E-B
Humanities Texas
Kronkosky Charitable Foundation
Lilly Endowment Inc
Meadows Foundation
National Park Service
San Antonio Area Foundation
Sisters of the Holy Spirit
Smithsonian Institution
St. Philip’s College
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
Valero
Wells Fargo
Interns provided by:
Trinity University
St. Mary’s University
Texas A & M San Antonio
UTSA
Thank you to the SAAACAM Board of Directors Staff, all Donors & our Volunteers
Thank you to all of the many partners listed and:
Lisa Jackson, Public Relations Consultant
Sharoya Hall, Social Media Consultant
San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum (SAAACAM)
3737 Broadway, Suite 300
San Antonio TX 78209
210 724 3350
saaacam.org admin@saaacam org
We thank you for your continued support of our programs.
Taylor Foots at Museum Advocacy Day in Washington DC