About us
Who We Are
PAHMUSA (The Pan African Historical Museum USA) is a hidden gem. It was founded in 1995 by Lujuana Hood. Her mission was to help preserve the local history of African Americans continues today. Executive Director Sam Bradley and his team continue building on the foundation Ms. Hood established by offering educational, performing arts, and socially relevant programming for the immediate and surrounding community. Visitors from all over the world are drawn to the exhibitions and programming offered weekly.
PAHMUSA houses a unique collection of print materials to support the artifacts on display. Education plays a huge part in our programming offerings. Since 1995, the founding members of PAHMUSA'S intention was to bring the little-known history of Black Americans to the classroom. Alliances with community schools are too many to name. However, PAHMUSA played a pivotal role in educating students through school visits, on-site tours and activities, teacher training, trips to Africa, fashion shows, and a re-enactment of Timbuktu.
Our renowned Underground Railroad Tour was conceived, researched, designed, and enacted by PAHMUSA. Visitors can join local docents, reenactment actors, and historians for an engaging and enlightening stroll through the downtown area of Springfield, MA. You will never look at Springfield similarly after participating in this tour. Visit historical markers and meet people that salute the perseverance, ingenuity, and resilience of some of Springfield's unsung early residents. The Underground Railroad was comprised of many people and places. Springfield was an essential destination for freedom seekers and activists like Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown.
Our Mission
PAHMUSA proudly and consistently supports, reserves, and propagates the legacy and rich history of people of color. We are a service-orientated business that emphasizes sharing our human and material resources to support and uplift our immediate and surrounding community.
The immediate and broader community recognizes PAHMUSA as one of the most culturally relevant and historically rich venues for supporting our diverse community's physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual life, wealth, and health.
We not only have it as our mission to present the history and culture of Africa and people of African descent in a dignified, entertaining, and accurate manner, we aggressively pursue this mission with diligence and steadfastness by fostering a clear understanding of Africa, her peoples and her enormous contribution to human civilization since the establishment of PAHMUSA.
We host exhibits, performances, hands-on arts and crafts activities, festivals, specialized and scholarly speakers, workshops, walking tours, community forums, host meetings, show films and documentaries, display print and non-print books and artifacts, and partner with other cultural institutions to promote Black history in an inviting and multi-sensory platform.
Cultural Programming
PAHMUSA serves schools, community centers, local businesses, colleges, and universities. Community businesses, companies, vendors, and the public visit PAHMUSA regularly. They listen to lectures, go on guided tours, enjoy live entertainment, watch documentaries and films, and browse art displays. Volunteer staff and board members plan, facilitate, and launch weekly programs, and PAHMUSA is open to visitors daily. Attendance has grown over 300% since 1991; now, 25% of visitors travel from outside the Connecticut Valley and are ethnically diverse. The community relies upon PAHMUSA to support and enhance the cultural needs of the community. PAHMUSA gives a platform to upcoming artists. At PAHMUSA, various artists can find an audience to share their work. PAHMUSA is in the business of cultivating, supporting, and, sometimes, developing talent.
Kwanzaa, Black History Month, Juneteenth, PAHMUSA Fest, and Mental Health Awareness are yearly events. The Underground Railroad tour is accessible to the public. This fascinating guided tour begins at the museum in Tower Square on the second floor. Here you'll discover letters, photographs, maps, and artifacts that help set the stage for your experience. LuJuana Hood, PAHMUSA Executive Director, and Tina Taylor, Docent, serve as tour guides on the two-hour walk along several city blocks. Costumed actors help illustrate the arduous journey to freedom thousands of enslaved people took. They provide helpful insight into how the Underground Railroad operated in plain view. Naturally, coded communication was important. You learn how couriers describe incoming passengers and their ultimate destinations. The downtown area from Main to Gridiron is essential to the Underground Railroad.
Educational Programming
PAHMUSA houses a unique collection of materials to support the artifacts on display. PAHMUSA was founded to teach all ages the under-represented history of Black Americans. Education plays a huge part of the programming. Alliances with community schools, especially elementary and middle schools, have grown. Participating schools include private, charter, and parochial institutions. PAHMUSA offers school visits, class visits, docent-run programs, African trips, and fashion shows. PAHMUSA displays African and Black American History and culture. PAHMUSA helps with mental health, substance abuse, Black male disempowerment, poverty, and economic issues.
PAHMUSA hosts school tours. Nearly eighty children took part in historically valuable and culturally exciting activities. Mental stimulation through books and hobbies kicked off weekly Saturday events. Local authors, storytellers, visual artists, and photographers shared their pursuits and passion. William's presentation on self-publishing guided emerging writers through the book writing and publishing process. His primary source documents and extensive research captivated the audience. Renay Jihad held a workshop on her new journal/gratitude paperback, "You Are All That and More." The Imam was awarded the PAHMUSA SALUTE TO TODAY'S GIANTS for his community service.