The Black American West Museum & Heritage Center is located in Denver's historic Five Point's neighborhood, which during the first half of the 20th century was known as the "Harlem of the West." The Museum began with Paul Stewart, who as a child playing cowboys and Indians, always played an Indian because he was told, "There is no such thing as a Black cowboy." Stewart founded the museum in 1971 and the mission of the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center is to promote an understanding of the role that African Americans played in the settlement and growth of the western United States through its collections, programs, and exhibits.