African-American Museum in Saint Martinville

African-American Museum in Saint Martinville

The African-American Museum tells the story of the arrival of the Africans and the development of the free people of color community in Southwest Louisiana.

The museum interprets their struggles, adaptations and contributions, with particular emphasis on the Attakapas District during the 18th and 19th centuries. It outlines the rise and fall of slavery and the economic struggles faced by the free people after the Civil War.

A main feature of the museum is the 26’ mural by renowned artist Dennis Paul Williams, which highlights the trades and accomplishments of some of St. Martinville’s free people of color.

The Shackles of Memory is a fourteen panel exhibition illustrating the slave trade, the history of the slavery and its contemporary consequences in order to promote new and fairer exchanges between our three continents: Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Exhibit permanently donated to the African American Museum by the Shackles of Memory Association (Les Anneaux de la Memoire).