When you’re in Houma, be sure to check out the Find Our Roots African American Museum for an intimate, humbling encounter with the rich African Amerian history of Louisiana’s Bayou Region.
Each gallery is a trip through time where visitors can get a firsthand look at the horrors of slavery, the impact of reconstruction, and the struggle for civil rights. As you make your way through, you’ll also come face to face with the extraordinary black men and women who made their mark in history as doctors, lawyers, educators, politicians, inventors, musicians, and writers.
Find Our Roots is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm. Admission is $7 for a walk-through tour and $9 for a guided tour. Yearly memberships are also available for $40. Read on to learn about what’s in store, and then set aside some time to make your visit.
The Exhibitions
The Finding Our Roots Museum features an incredible series of exhibits that depict life for African Americans in the Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary and Assumption Parishes.
Georgetown Slave Sale Memorial
As the newest exhibition in the museum, The Georgetown Slave Memorial explores the 1838 slave sale at which 272 slaves were sold in order to pay off the mounting debt at Georgetown University. This piece of history didn’t catch widespread national attention until it was published in a 2016 article from the New York Times. While touring this exhibit, visitors can view ship manifests, photographs, other important documents from the trade.
Early Life
These exhibits present African American life throughout slavery and the reconstruction era. Get a close up look at life on the plantations, slave revolts, and the Underground Railroad. You’ll also learn about life in America after slavery ended and the many ways in which African Americans contributed to public, private, and cultural realms of our society.
Civil Rights Movement
Several prominent civil rights activists hail from Louisiana’s Bayou Region, and this exhibit is dedicated to telling their stories. Walk through the struggle for equality and learn about the trails, accomplishments, and impacts of these important historical figures.
Education
This exhibit teaches you all about African American education in the Bayou Region before the end of segregation. Interesting fact: the Finding Our Roots Museum was built on the site of a former African American school.
The People
There are many African Americans from Terrebonne, Lafourche, and St. Mary who made a tremendous impact on our country’s culture and history. Come honor those who served in the armed forces – from the Revolutionary War to the present – and learn about the accomplishments of prominent black inventors, writers, musicians, and clergy.
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