Promoting Social Change In Houston

Transformative Change In One of the Most Economically Segregated Cities In The Country

WelcomeA B O U T J O H N G U E S S

John Guess, Jr. is a business consultant specializing in

message and strategy. He is former board member

of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the

Museum of Fine Arts Houston Glassell School of Art,

and former Board Chairman of Artlies Magazine. He

is also a McKinsey Executive Panel member. He is

the unrelenting voice and architect behind the

resurgence of the now nationally recognized

Houston Museum of African American Culture, which

he was brought in to turn around and make tangible

in late 2009, and where he serves as Chief Executive

Officer.

A B O U T H M A A C

The mission of HMAAC is to collect, conserve, explore, interpret, and exhibit the material and intellectual culture of Africans and African Americans in Houston, the state of Texas, the southwest and the African Diaspora for current and future generations. In fulfilling its mission, HMAAC seeks to invite and engage visitors of every race and background and to inspire children of all ages through discovery-driven learning. HMAAC is to be a museum for all people. While our focus is the African American experience, our story informs and includes not only people of color, but people of all colors. As a result, the stories and exhibitions that HMAAC will bring to Texas are about the indisputable fact that while our experience is a unique one, it has been impacted by and has impacted numerous races, genders and ethnicities.

OUR VISION

HMAAC seeks to be a cultural portal through which people share and converge histories and contemporary experiences that acknowledge and expand the African American experience, and from such interactions come together to build a common future

T h e A l l i a n c e o f A m e r i c a n M u s e u m s

Since 2012, HMAAC consistently recognized as a stellar performer

One of the Top Six African American museums in the country by Centric TV

One of the top three Small Museums by the Houston Press

One of the Best Museums in Houston by PaperCity

Case Study in Relevance by the Alliance of American Museums for its recent national meeting in St. Louis

Beneficiary of rapid, dynamic visitor growth in five years, rising to over 34,000 local, state, national and international visitors since opening its doors on a daily basis in February of 2012

HMAAC has become the most visited African American cultural asset in the city

Our popularity results from our neighborhood impact to empower

Many African American neighborhoods throughout the United States, including Houston, are stuck in intergenerational poverty and economic disadvantage.

We know however the power of cultural capital to empower individuals and neighborhoods.

We know additionally that cultural assets, through which cultural capital can be obtained, affect high opportunity.

Houston’s arts and culture funding fails miserably in its support of African American cultural assets.

A Foundation Arts and Culture

$25 million plus awarded, $55,000 for organizations of color (.0022%)

B Foundation Culture

$3 million plus awarded, $0 for organizations of color

C Foundation

$4 million plus awarded, $20,000 for organizations of color (.005%)

D Foundation

$56 million plus awarded, $2.5 million for African American organizations ($2.1 million to TSU and PVAMU or 3.75%),

leaving $400,000 for all others (.007%)

E. Foundation

$16 million plus awarded, $250,000 for organizations of color (.0156%)

F Foundation

$11 million awarded, $10,000 for organizations of color (.0009%)

One of the above foundations indicated in writing to HMAAC that it need not apply again for funds.

Public funding can differ from private philanthropy in its objective to support what are deemed public goods.

The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC), is the ONLY such museum in a major or mid-sized city that does not have its building and annual operating budget funded publicly as a public good.

The Rubber Hits the Road

This past year (2016) foundation and public funding for Houston’s African American cultural assets decreased while demand from the underserved African American community increased.

HMAAC Decided to Take a Stand

Despite its own funding void, HMAAC took it upon itself in 2016 to become a funder as well as partner, investing over $60,000 of its already meager funds and resources in other African American cultural organizations to jointly present programs for our underserved community.

HMAAC Redefined itself as A Museum in a Building and in the Community

Tackled social problems in museum exhibitions

Gentrification,

Abolitionists/Black Lives Matter

Convened community meetings for issuance of White Papers

On A Cultural Plan for Houston’s African American Communities

and

Upcoming A Call for Equity in Houston Cultural Funding

Sponsor influential public art murals in low income areas

Murals inside two high schools that say:

The World Needs What You Have to Give

Murals outside African American owned buildings in low income areas: These

Lives Matter and Be At Your Best

Brought Entertainment to Neighborhood and earned income

Sponsored symposia on topics for university curriculums

Invest in Next Generation

• Sponsored HMAAC Urban Fellow,

its second support of a doctoral

candidate’s exploration of the

contemporary urban and business

environment

• Support of an artist’s global photography

project inspires people of all ages to learn

foreign languages and participate in global

awareness through foreign travel.

• Not That But This Webzine

Invest in Next Generation

• Roundtable Convo

• Sponsor I Am Me Foundation College Tour

Taking A Stand: The current Initiative

• Providing space for African American

assets hit by funding inequities

• Advocating for Racial Equity in Cultural

Funding and Calling on Leaders to

Stand With Us

The Last Word