The McMullen Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to showcasing and uplifting black female voices and art. The mission is “to provide communal, immersive, memorial and expansive experiences and programs centered on black women.” I had the privilege of interviewing the founder and president of the Institute, Calli McMullen. Calli shared with me that of the thirty-five thousand plus (35,000+) museums in America, the number of museums that focus on African American history is barely over one hundred. That’s less than 0.3%, and that’s talking about all African American history, nevermind exclusively female voices. Calli and her team created the McMullen Institute with the purpose of “shar[ing] the significant contributions black women have made in art, activism, pop culture, science and more.” Their passion and plan is to place black female voices at the center and forefront of ‘museum experiences’ to both educate the public and ensure that black women are seen, heard and valued. 

On 19 August 2023, The McMullen Institute will partner with the Community Life Baptist Church to host a Back to School Bash for students who are in need of school supplies. Calli affirmed that this event falls right in line with their mission stating, “Our upcoming event focuses on the communal aspect of our vision by serving students in need while bringing art centered on black women to the event to expose those students to it.” This Back to School Bash is a community effort, championed by the local church and young highschool students who are volunteering for this event. If you don’t live in the area, fret not. You can donate by going to mcmulleninstitute.com, scrolling to the bottom of any webpage and clicking donate.

I finished the interview wondering what is next for the Institute. Here is the answer I received: “The goal is to initiate a series of museums that are totally centered on black women. The idea is to show that black women are worthy to occupy all of the space and that their accomplishments are strong enough to stand.” Calli and her team realize that occupying current and future spaces is not quite where they are at yet, but they will get there. Until then, the McMullen Institute is focused on sharing their vision for the future by continuing to engage the community with events, programs, and ‘pop up’ museums. 

To check out more about The McMullen Institute and its team and programs, or to donate, visit their website at mcmulleninstitute.com. We here at Honey Whines will definitely keep an eye out for their future projects and support them in their initiatives. Also, fun fact- three of the six founding team for the Institute are my Sorors from the Tau Theta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Calli is my Ace, Sheika is my Tre (also my front), and Stephanie was our LMC (forever our mother duck)!