Roots 101 African American Museum

Visited today with my 3 daughters. Beautiful artifacts on display, & a natural flow between exhibits (beginning with African art, flowing into enslavement, then Jim Crow era, etc). It’s essentially one big room, so the flow of such is a feat of creativity. This museum hits white supremacy movements straight on, & it’s hard to see - but if we are not uncomfortable with history, we are not being honest students of it. The staff is wonderful & the environment welcoming. My daughters & I felt the gravity of the museum, but we also saw the beauty & culture exhibited so succinctly. Absolutely worth a visit when in Louisville.

My 19-year old daughter and I made a quick stop in Louisville and visiting Roots 101 was one of several “must dos” for us. We walked into the museum at a time when Lamont Collins was engaged in a presentation and discussion with a group of young men visiting from Cincinnati. He is extremely engaging, knowledgeable and clearly has a passion for helping people make connections between history and everyday life today. He asked questions, was open to hearing others even when he did not necessarily embrace their same perspective, and was able to leave the group with thoughts and questions to further consider as we walked through the museum. Though my daughter and I would have been extremely grateful simply to have heard Mr. Collins’ presentation, we then toured the museum. It is informative, moving, depressing and inspiring all at once. The collections in the themed rooms serve both as reminders of so many of the contributions of Africans and African Americans across many levels and areas of life, as well as the harsh realities that stem directly and indirectly from racism in its historical and present-day cultural and institutional manifestations. We are so grateful to Mr. Collins for all he has done and continues to do to create this amazing museum. And, we know there is a community who offers their hard work, time, financial support, etc. to support the continuation of Roots 101. We thank them as well. The Roots 101 African American Museum is something not to be missed by anyone visiting Louisville!

When I came across this museum online, I knew l had to make the trip over to Louisville to see it in person (I was in NC for a wedding but originally from Miami). Hands down my favorite museum. Powerful, educational, emotional, beautiful. So many feelings were felt. I also had the honor of meeting the Founder/Owner and he was humble and kind. Mr. Kenny at the front desk was a gem as well. Besides the museum having great exhibits, you can tell that those who run it have good hearts. They even let me stay a little after closing because they knew how far I had traveled. If you ever have the chance to pass by, I HIGHLY recommend. 10/10! I will most definitely be returning.

Magnificent museum filled with our rich history of our ancestors. It tells the story of the black experience in America. Amazing artifacts of statues, masks, and iron casts from various African countries.

An excellent place to spend an afternoon learning about the roots of African Americans’ history. But prepared to spend time there and after to process.

What an amazing museum! So much history. So much pain and so much joy at the same time. My uncle had his graduation party here and the venue was lovely, plenty of space with a sectioned off area to serve food and drinks outside of the main space. There’s a place on the 2nd floor to had a DJ which I thought was nice. I’ll be back to visit the museum in full soon.

Expect small, local Amd Home grown. Upon entry I wore the shackles American slaves war - created Instant and painful understanding of our history. It started as an individual collection that grew into a small museum of African art and black history in the United States from slavery to the present. exhibits include music. Culture, black publications and radio and Tv. Good interviews on each of these. Great recreation of a room from the Allen hotel, one of the largest hotels in the green book.

The whole place is lovely. My whole family felt welcome, and we loved that you were able to touch the artifacts! What a great way to immerse yourself with real history. I will say I didn't see any shirts for folks such as myself.

Extremely happy with this museum. Very informative and educational. Highly recommended for all. I hope to come back again for more time to explore.

Founded in 2020, the Roots 101 African American Museum is a a relatively new museum, and as the name suggests, it's a museum about the history and culture of African Americans. The museum is quite small -- I only spent just over an hour in the museum, and I was taking my time looking at all the exhibits, but it's interesting and at $13, quite affordable. (It is cheaper for children, seniors, and those in the military.) There were exhibits about bronze sculptures from Benin, music and entertainment, Americana knick knacks (racist salt and pepper shakers and the like), protests and riots, and more. There was also an exhibit about the KKK and the movie "The Birth of a Nation", which was played on a loop (I watched it for probably 20 minutes). I had never heard of this movie, but it's apparently VERY well known -- I certainly learned something from this museum. [Yelp collections: Louisville/Indianapolis 2023; Louisville, KY 2023; Museums and Art Galleries; Cheap Thrills]

Beautifully inspiring. Emotionally heavy. Scary. Thought provoking. Entertaining. So many emotions while visiting this great museum. They did an excellent job explaining how it was best to walk through the museum. I was impressed with their method of breaking up each segment. It really added to the entire experience. This is definitely a place I'd want to visit over and over again. There's just so much to see and absorb. I hope to get the opportunity to go again.

I think this is better than the museum in DC. And I love the AAHM in DC. Here you can actually touch the exhibits! There are some heavy ones and they can take your heart in many different directions, however, well worth the visit. The first thing that you encounter is the heavy shackles used to enslave our ancestors once captured in Africa. Hell they are heavy to me now so figure what they would have been over at minimum a 20 mile march through the jungle. Another section is the kkk exhibit (Yes I deliberately used the lower case) Though it was enraging, one of the things it showed me is that the old adage is true. If you don't know your history you will fall for the sequel!!! I saw and heard all the words that the orange presidential candidate is using repeatedly vomited out of the mouth of a sheeted coward! And unfortunately there are lemmings who are newly following just like the uneducated or the last are doing. Don't get me wrong neither geezer is a good opportunity they both have their detractions, however, one has acknowledged the errors of his past and the other has doubled down. But I digress, this place and others like it are here to keep the ACTUAL HISTORY OF the African American experience alive when the trend is to wipe out who we are and what our ancestors have done long before our LANDS were "found" (INVADED).

Amazing history museum. The art and story telling is beautiful. The curator has a special talent.

This place was everything and more. My companion and I drove from Indianapolis to tour the museum and we are so glad that we did. I called and spoke to Kenny he was very knowledgeable and helpful. When we walked in he gave me us an amazing tour of what to expect. We walked around and was amazed at every single detail in the museum. Everything was touchable and there was so much history in the museum. Kenny was super helpful who works at the front desk! Thank you Pros History Customer service Culture You can touch things!

If you are in Louisville, I wholeheartedly recommend you take a moment out of your day to visit Roots 101. The main strength of Roots 101, which sets it apart from many of the other museums I've been to, is its storytelling. Each room/area thrusts you into new space/time in African American history, with not only important artifacts, but also uniquely personal touches that were placed with love and care. At one point during our self-guided tour, another woman in the museum happened to spot her actual familial ancestors on the wall of the "Big Momma's House" room. It's moments like these that you don't necessarily see happen in a traditional museum. If I could visit Roots 101 again, I'd love to do the guided tour instead of the self-guided one. During our visit, we were blessed to run into Lamont Collins, the founder of the museum. In the time we spent talking with him, he dropped so many tidbits of insightful knowledge that really made you stop and reflect. His passion for Roots 101 is palpable and so inspiring. Beyond Mr. Collins, the staff at Roots 101 are very personable and lively. As an introvert who normally doesn't enjoy talking, I ended up walking away with a smile after each conversation with the staff. Before leaving Roots 101, I highly recommend that everyone stops and checks out Dafri's art for sale in the museum. Dafri, of Dafri Studios, is a mixed media artist that has partnered with Roots 101 and has a shop on the first floor. He sells a variety of art pieces, with some of them relating to the messaging of Roots 101 and some of them being his passion projects! As a fellow artist, it was great being able to talk to him about his process and pick his creative brain a bit. Dafri takes pride in making his art affordable, which I greatly appreciated, as I was able to walk away with two amazing pieces by him! Overall, Roots 101 was one of the best museums I've been to in a long time. The love, passion, and care that Lamont Collins infused into the place really translates and is guaranteed to move anyone who is lucky enough to visit.

I'd bookmarked Roots 101 and was excited to have 2 guided tour tickets included in a prized package from Yelp. We were greeted by Jacy at the front door and after quickly signing in she began our tour. The building was amazing. High ceilings and organized from artifacts and memorabilia from the 1300's to present. I was fascinated by the first pieces, from sculptures to masks. They were detailed and we were encouraged to touch them or get a close look. Upon entering the area telling the story of slavery, Jacy placed a pair of shackles on my hands. They were heavy and I immediately thought of how people must've felt having them on their hands, feet and neck. Jacy continued to walk us through various sections of history, including music, segregation, the green book and protests. She was so kind and willing to answer our questions or increase our education. It was an impactful tour. Tours can be self guided but I'd recommend paying for the guided tour. Street parking is available nearby with meters. Masks are currently required. Small gift shop and event space is available downstairs and upstairs. Gift certificates can be purchased.

What a wonderful place to visit and learn about your history. Lot's to learn and if you've never visited this wonderful place take some time out of your schedule to visit. You will be glad you did. It brought back a lot of memories about Louisville..... Back in the Day and other facts. The time in which I visited the Museum it was for a great evening event. They had food and great entertainment/ music. I had a good time. Check them out and learn about some of your history.. This is such a nice place for Louisville to have for they need more place for people and their citizens to go.

I had a wonderful experience at the Roots 101 museum. The owner, Lamont, is an avid Louisville historian and has constructed an experience that everyone needs to see. Make sure to ask Lamont for a tour when during your visit!

Root's 101 is a lovely place to visit. There's a room that looks like grandma's house! If you have mobility issues There's elevator access around the corner on the side of the building. The front desk was helpful pointing us in the right direction.

Go experience this spot!! History, our story, and why we need to be better as humans. Every emotion was felt by this great man's passion to preserve and remember.

It's beautiful! Definitely call for hours and a tour if you are from out of town. The insta page seems to be the most up to date but it conflicts with Facebook and the website I was their ten minutes as they were closing but the few things I did see blew my mind and I can't wait to go back

Great museum that proudly displays African American history. Fascinating owner. Very detailed. The art is amazing. When completed, this place will be an asset to Louisville. The museum is located in the heart of museum row. Plans for lots of activities thru out the museum.

A must-see when you visit Louisville. I was super impressed. So much history, it's amazing. Our host was super knowledgeable and courteous. I would highly recommend a visit.

What an incredible collection of history. It was the perfect combination of the heaviness of slavery and racism with the celebration of African American history. The whole museum is so well done and the staff were very helpful. A must see if visiting Louisville.

This beautiful museum is filled with so much history and love of those who paved the way! As a native Louisvillian myself, I am so proud of Mr. Lamont Collins and the voice he gives in sharing the beautiful truth of legacy that exudes strength and courage. He welcomes everyone (all nations) to take the journey so that upon receiving wisdom of our past, we can make a difference in the present time we live in and our future!