Camden opens African American Cultural Center

The African American Cultural Center of Camden is now open, showcasing African-American history in the town and featuring a tribute to famous native son and baseball Hall of Famer Larry Doby.

The center opened in a two-room, turn-of-the-century house at 517 York St. on Feb. 24 as part of a celebration of Black History Month.

Camden Mayor Alfred Mae Drakeford called the center “a long-envisioned dream coming true.” “The mission of this new attraction is to highlight and foster the appreciation of the rich history of the African-American community of Camden and surrounding area,” Drakeford said in a new release.

The new cultural center will be part of the Camden Archives and Museum system. Exhibits and programming will be curated and operated by the city’s archives and museum staff.

The center includes an exhibit highlighting Doby’s achievements which will run through Aug. 30.

Doby followed trailblazer Jackie Robinson as the second African-American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. He was also the second African-American manager of an MLB club, following Frank Robinson.  

“We are excited to tell the story of Larry Doby with a rare collection of memorabilia to inaugurate the center,” said Katherine Richardson, director of the Camden Archives and Museum.

The museum will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 4: 30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.