America’s Black Holocaust Museum receives donation, proclamation

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele proclaimed Monday as Dr. James Cameron Day.

Cameron was a Wisconsin native who survived a lynching in 1930 and later founded America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee.

At the announcement, Abele also gave a $100,000 donation to the museum to help it reopen. It has been operating as a virtual museum for several years.

Organizers said they are getting close to their $400,000 goal. Abele said it’s important to have places like the museum that remind people of the past and those who have struggled pushing for change.  

“Progress has been incredibly slow and it doesn’t always automatically move forward,” he said. “Sometimes we need nudges and this museum is just one of those nudges to remind us, hey, we got to keep moving forward, not backwards.”

The museum is still accepting donations. Leaders say they plan on opening sometime this year.