The Rockland African Diaspora Heritage Center

The Rockland African Diaspora Heritage Center (RADHC) is an exhibition space dedicated to the celebration, preservation, interpretation and understanding of the cultures, experiences and histories of the peoples of the African Diaspora. The RADHC is housed at The CEJJES Institute, a social justice organization that also promotes the culture of the African Diaspora and is a collaborative project of The CEJJES Institute, The African American Historical Society and The Spring Valley NAACP.

The RADHC’s mission is to accurately interpret the contributions of African people wherever they are in the world. However, the focus of African Diaspora Heritage Center is primarily the experiences of Black People in Rockland County and New York State. Our collections cover topics as varied as the Black Experience with regards to enslavement, the American Revolution, the Civil War, Black Reconstruction, the Black Arts Movements, African American intellectual traditions, Black Migrations, the Civil Rights Era and the Deindustrialization of the USA. The African Diaspora Heritage Center offers unique learning opportunities through, exhibitions, conferences, cultural celebrations, films, children’s education programs and other special events based on the growing collections and research that explore the diverse histories and cultures of the African Diaspora. Living history and culture will be presented through festivals, theatrical presentations and concerts. The main objectives of the RADHC are the collection, preservation and presentation of information that can contribute to meaningful experiences for children and adults who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to be exposed to the cultural richness of the African Diaspora.

The RADHC is the key educational and cultural resource for Black People in Rockland County. The center includes the establishment of The Jacqueline and Albert Holland African American History Collection along with several other collections within the Edmund W. Gordon Library.

The Holland Book Collection supports the mission of the Heritage Center by housing books, periodicals and records related to the study of the African Diaspora in Rockland County. The library will also provide bibliographic research services and information resources to the public.

The Rockland African Diaspora Heritage Center is the first institution of its kind in Rockland County dedicated to the history and culture of the African Diaspora. Three exhibition areas are devoted to the story of the African Diaspora in Rockland County. Another exhibition area is devoted to the Charles White Gallery of Art.

Help the Heritage Center to Thrive:

Financial Contributions are Welcomed

Help us to become the leading educational and cultural resource for learning about Black life in Rockland County. Your contribution will help us to provide free and open access to information, education and learning.

Donation of Materials

• Check your family archives for letters, newspaper articles, and photos. Donate these materials or allow us to borrow and/or scan these items.
• Send us contact information for those who you think can provide us with the knowledge or insight regarding black history in Rockland County.
• Provide us with an oral history if you have particular knowledge about an historic event that was of impact to the people of the African Diaspora in Rockland County.
• Inquires regarding privately held materials that should be considered for the African Diaspora Heritage Center’s collections should be forwarded to:

The Rockland African Diaspora Heritage Center