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“Harriet Tubman has a museum. Shirley Chisholm has a museum. Michelle Obama and Beyoncé may have museums. They all should. But we wanted a museum for ordinary Black women and girls who have contributed so much to this country, often without recognition.”
That powerful statement from curator Michael Clemmons was my introduction to The Colored Girls Museum. It’s an intriguing space dedicated to the everyday stories and art of Black women and girls.
Set inside a Victorian twin home in Germantown, the museum was once home to its founder, Vashti DuBois and her family. It’s now a living work of art.
My tour began in the art-covered living room. As soon as I stepped inside, I was immersed in color, texture, and sound. There were African sculptures, church fans, paintings, and lots of other art. Music filled the space, including James Brown’s “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,” which also happened to be the name of the exhibit.
I particularly liked that even the window treatments were works of art. One was made from an unusual dress that appeared in another artwork in the museum, and the other was made from pages of books that had been creatively stitched together.
The living room was also our introduction to two themes that tie the house together. Firstly, each room has a portrait—painted by a Black woman—of a girl between the ages of 10 and 18 whose story you learn. Secondly, even the room names, like the library’s “Keep My Name Out Yo Mouth,” add a layer of cultural familiarity and meaning.
As we moved through the house, our three guides told our group the concepts behind each room and walked us through all the pieces of art. I was impressed by their encyclopedic knowledge not only of the meanings behind the art but of how the works were created and about the artists themselves.
Upstairs, the “Colored Boys Bedroom” offered a personal story. Here, Mr. Clemmons told us about his late brother, also an artist, with whom he had always hoped to exhibit. But his brother passed away before that could happen. Their works now share the space alongside a TV playing an episode of In the Heat of the Night, his brother’s favorite show.
What I loved most in the room was the custom wallpaper with the name of the museum, two students, and a one room schoolhouse. It was originally created as part of an art display at Philadelphia International Airport and was repurposed later at the museum (side note: the terminals of the airport are an incredible and frequently changing art gallery).
The only permanent installation in the museum was a room dedicated to washerwomen, Black women who labored in domestic work after emancipation. Everything in the room was deep with meaning from the use of African symbols to the incorporation of cotton.
The clothesline that crossed the room was covered with washing, including items that belonged to the grandmothers of the two women who curated the space, making it deeply personal. A heart that hung from the ceiling marked the room as the emotional center of the home.
On the third floor, I was struck by the room titled “Quiet As It’s Kept.” It features a photo of a woman representing the patients treated by J. Marion Sims, a surgeon who operated on Black women and sent them home with open wounds. Healing elements—sage, herbs, and medicinal objects—are nearby to restore harmony to the space. It was fascinating to hear that any time a piece has a difficult story, the museum brings in a “cure” to reestablish balance.
By the end of the visit, you don’t feel like you’ve toured a museum. Instead, you feel like you’ve been welcomed into someone’s home. The experience concludes just that way, with a group photo as if you were guests and an invitation to return.
Visiting information
The Colored Girls Museum is located at 4613 Newhall Street in Germantown. Tours take place on Saturdays, and free on-street parking is available.