The motivation.
It began with a partnership...
Museum of African American History
The Museum of African American History Boston | Nantucket inspires all generations to embrace and interpret the authentic stories of New Englanders of African descent, and those who found common cause with them, in their quest for freedom and justice. Through its historic buildings, collections, and programs, the Museum expands cultural understanding and promotes dignity and respect for all.
The Museum was founded in 1967 and is New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. The Museum has two locations – one in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood and the other on Nantucket Island – and two Black Heritage Trails® that tell the story of organized black communities from the Colonial Period through the 19th century.
The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation
The mission of The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation is to promote a more knowledgeable and inclusive society, with a special emphasis on environmental sustainability and the mitigation of wealth inequality.
The room where it happens.
The annual award event takes place in Boston in two of the Museum’s most significant properties: the Abiel Smith School, built in 1835, and the African Meeting House, which was built in 1806 largely by the labor of free blacks. The African Meeting House served as the center of the free black community in the nineteenth century and is the oldest surviving black church structure in the United States and a National Historic Landmark. For more information, visit www.maah.org .