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About the Archive

Founded on May 8, 1974 by Horace M. Peterson III, the Black Archives of Mid-America grew out of a desire to maintain the history and stories of African Americans in the Midwest.

In the last forty years, the archive have built a superb collection of documents, photographs, rare books and artifacts that showcase the African American experience in Kansas City and beyond. 
BAMA now collects, sustains and makes available materials chronicling the social, economic, political and cultural accounts of persons of African descent in the central United States, with particular emphasis in the Kansas City, Missouri region.

The Black Archives is an educational resource and provides access to its collections for research and learning, supporting the community’s heritage and to breed public awareness.

To find out more information, visit their website: BAMA

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