The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History will showcase “The HBCU Experience, Past, Present and Future” from August 1^st to September 25^th.  This exhibit examines the role that the historically black college and university have played in shaping many of the iconic figures of Augusta.  One need look no further than the namesake of the museum, Lucy Craft Laney, who graduated in 1873 in the first class of the Normal School of Atlanta University.  In addition to the physical exhibit at the Museum, there will be several virtual and interactive components.

Admission is limited to tours of four people and tours must be set up in advance. Available tour times are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 10:30am and 2:30pm. Cost is $7 per person.

The Historically Black College and University, or HBCU, has been one of the foundational institutions in the African American community since the antebellum period.  Post-Civil War America saw the creation of dozens of HBCU’s, from Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, to Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.  All HBCU’s are not the same.  Some are large, like Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and others have a more intimate campus setting, like Paine College in Augusta, Georgia.  But no matter the size or geographic location of the school there is one thing that is for certain, the HBCU experience is a collegiate experience unlike any other. 

In early September there will be a virtual panel discussion about the importance of the HBCU in the 21^st Century.  The panelists will include representatives from various historically black colleges and universities.  The panel will be moderated by Augusta’s own, Fisk University graduate, Dee Griffin.

Call for Photographs:  If you have a photograph you would like to share from your time in school, the Laney Museum would love to see it.  You can send the photograph to museum historian Corey Rogers at [email protected].  Make sure to include your name, what school you attended, the approximate year the photo was taken, who took the photo if that information is available, and the context by which the photo was taken:  step show, party, homecoming, parade or just a typical day on campus!  All photos must be submitted no later than Friday, July 24^th at Noon.

Give Us your Selfie Videos:  Tell us about your HBCU experience.  In a one to two minute video share with us your fondest memory about going to an HBCU or why you decided to attend a particular HBCU. 

For more information about this exhibit as well as important information on our tours please contact 706-724-3576.