A plan to open a $27M Black inventors museum in New Jersey – Mosaic

While standing in line at ShopRite one night, James Howard, of Dover, spotted a special edition of the Times magazine that featured America’s top 100 inventors but noticed something was missing.

“Naturally, on the front cover, they have Thomas Edison, they have Henry Ford, Nikola Tesla and all that, (but) not a single black face is on the front cover.

He found later in the article small images of Dr. Daniel Hill Williams and Dr. Charles Drew, two Black surgeons who changed the medical landscape forever, but the magazine list stuck in his mind. Later, while being interviewed about his career he was asked why there were no museums dedicated to Black inventors.

“I didn’t have an answer for him and then he said to me, ‘Why don’t you start a Black Inventors Hall of Fame Museum,’ I slept on that, and three months later, I started the Black Inventors Hall of Fame. Museum,” Howard said.

Started as a virtual museum, Howard said he recognized that the museum needed to be a physical place where people could visit. “It has to be a building, and we still adopt the premise that if you’re going to build public spaces, they’re important,” he said.

Now, Howard said the museum is in the preliminary planning phase. There is a board of directors and plans for a 31,000-square-foot building that will include state-of-the-art STEAM classrooms and a library. The proposed opening date is 2026.

“We identified our basic program needs in terms of key features such as a 150-seat theater, a learning center, three to four large exhibition halls, and the identity of those halls,” said Howard, the executive director and founder of the Museum.

The museum has three exhibition halls, which will be called the Granville T. Wood Hall of Telecommunications and Technology, the Elijah J. McCoy Hall of Transportation and Agriculture Technology, and the Dr. Patricia Bath Hall in Medicinal Science and Health.

“Through three halls, we’re going to get a chance to tell the deep and broad story of the African American inventor, and we’re going to do it like no one else has,” Howard said.

The museum has 36 permanent exhibits and a rotating temporary space with endless possibilities for more exhibits, he said.

A replica of a P51 Redtail Mustang Fighter Plane made famous by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, will be on display.

“That is made in London and sent here. … (Actor) Tom Cruise was informed about our mission and the reason why he was informed is because the gentlemen that Tom Cruise relies on for all his technical assistance and flying planes and movies, he is the same person to build my plane,” Howard said.

The museum will cost about $27 million, Howard said. So far, he has raised $18 million, which includes a $13 million pledge made by an anonymous donor and money they requested from the state.

“We are currently engaged in a fundraising campaign, where we are reaching out to the public and the private sector for funding,” said Howard.

When Howard isn’t teaching his design students at the University of Texas at Austin, he’s planning a museum and raising money.

Philip Merrill, a lecturer, author and a collector of thousands of Black cultural items displayed in museums, schools and national conferences, is a member of the museum’s planning board member. – side surgery.

“I think it’s time that an institution of this expertise was created to tell the true, accurate story of the importance and impact of Black inventors,” Merrill said.

The museum will not only teach others about the contributions of Black Americans in the field of invention but also show their impact in various fields such as medicine, STEM, and aeronautics.

“I just want everyone to be proud of the accomplishments of people of African descent,” Merrill said.

In the next 60 days, Howard said he plans to commit to the building, which will determine whether the museum will be located in Newark or Morristown. Once the site commitment is complete, Howard said they will begin their fundraising campaign to the next level.

Last October, Howard launched his new traveling exhibition, “Three Eras of African American Inventor Journey Experience” at the headquarters of the United States Patent and Trade Office, in Alexandria, Virginia. The exhibition is scheduled to have several dates and locations in New Jersey in February.

The free interactive exhibit will highlight the contributions of African-American inventors such as Onesimus, Elijah J. McCoy, Jessie Russell, Bath and many others.

Overall, Howard said the exhibit will showcase the history of African American inventions spanning 400 years, from smallpox medicine to cell phone technology, and provide a platform for inventors to share their stories and knowledge.

“Our experience is very rich and deep, and that is what is collected in three seasons. It tells you the story of these three distinct periods: early, golden and modern,” Howard said.

Mosaic staff writer Vashti Harris can be reached at vharris@njadvancemedia.com.

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