SAVANNAH AFRICAN ART MUSEUM CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH INNOVATIVE HAIR EXHIBIT OPENING ON FEBRUARY 10, 2020

SAVANNAH, GA – January 27, 2021 – The Savannah African Art Museum (SAAM) is launching a new hair exhibit which opens to the public on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Designed to be a spectacular celebration of February’s Black History month, the exhibit, ROOTS: Hair-Culture-History, Exploring the Hair & Cultures of West & Central Africa will both honor and explore hair, culture, and history of West and Central Africa

“Hair is a frequent topic of conversation amongst all women,” said Lisa Jackson, SAAM’s Education Coordinator. “But, when it comes to hair of women of African descent, conversations have been laced with controversary, be it about European based society’s views about hair beauty or about the diverse hair choices Black women are rockin’ today. SAAM’s Hair Exhibit offers a historical perspective on how West and Central African cultures glorified and revered women’s hair, to the point of it being a part of female and male initiation rites. Hair is styled one way to signify being a young girl or boy, and another to signify becoming a woman or man. The exhibit demonstrates how these beautiful hair styles and adornments are created, and how much they’re appreciated.”

SAAM was established in Savannah in 2017 and this February celebrates the museum’s second anniversary at its current location at 201 E 37^th Street. Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in world history. This tradition originated from the establishment of Negro History Week in 1926 by historian, author, educator and journalist, Carter G. Woodson. Since 1976, every US president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month and SAAM is delighted to honor this tradition with its latest exhibit and workshops.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, groups will be limited to 5 persons per tour to maintain social distance guidelines and masks are required. Tours will be offered Wednesday through Saturday from 1-5 p.m., with the last tour beginning at 4 p.m. and all workshops will be presented online.

During February, SAAM will be offering two workshops: “Tracing Your Roots–Tips and Resources” for tracing one’s roots and “Honoring Our Ancestors,” with an introduction to Lauri Lyons’ historical, social justice initiative, ‘Rest with Honor,’ commemorating an unmarked colonial ‘Negro Burying Ground’ in Savannah. SAAM is also a participant of the 32^nd Annual Savannah Black Heritage Festival – A Virtual Presentation “Reflect, Reform, Rejoice.”

Savannah African Art museum is a non-profit institution devoted to spreading awareness and appreciation of African art and culture. They hold a collection of over 1,000 objects that hail from West and Central Africa. The museum’s collection spans over 28 countries and represents over 180 cultures.

For more information about the museum, or to access virtual tours and initiatives, please visit www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org, call (912) 721-7747 or follow SAAM on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest using the handle @SavannahAfricanArtMuseum.

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