Founded in 1967, the principal mission of the Museum of African American History is to preserve, conserve and interpret the contributions of people of African descent and those who have found common cause with them in the struggle for liberty, dignity, and justice for all Americans. Therefore the Museum: - Collects and exhibits artifacts of distinction and acquires and maintains physical structures and sites dating through the end of the 19th century; - Educates the public about the importance of the African American historical legacy in general, and its Boston and New England heritages in particular; - Celebrates the enduring vitality of African American culture; and - Advances on our own and in collaboration with others an appreciation of the lessons of the past to benefit the custodians of the future.