TYLER, Texas — The Texas African American Museum in Tyler, Texas, received a $1 million donation commitment on Feb. 19 from Dr. Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the former wife of Boxer Muhammad Ali. 

The museum was established in 2016 and comprises a 5,000 square foot building and sits on approximately 1.8 acres on Martin Luther King Boulevard.  

“Right now we have a strategic five-year plan. We’re going to expand and enhance on that, our five-year strategic plan along with the donation that she gifted to the museum,” said Gloria Washington, executive director and curator for the Texas African American Museum.  

According to its Facebook page, the museum launched their One Million Dollar Campaign on Nov. 20, 2021 with a goal of reaching that figure in a year. The bigger goal is renovating the museum, the site of a former fire station.  

“This facility [which was] Fire Station No. 4,” she said. “The City donated or gifted us this building.” 

The museum holds the history of local Black East Texans and prominent figures such as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. 

“We want individuals to come in and view our history and learn about our history and continue to educate about our history,” she said.  

Washington says the museum is important because they’re trying to reach their younger generation.  

“I think recently they’re trying to take Black history or history out of the schools,” she said. “So, we’re going to pick up the slack and we’re going to teach about that history here in the Texas African American Museum.” 

Washington says the history housed in the museum from the past to the present fills in the gaps for all to learn.  

“Our ancestors endured a lot,” Washington said. “We’ve come a long way, but we have a very long way to go.”