Shakia Gullette Warren said the story of African-Americans begins in Virginia. That’s part of the reason she’s excited about being the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia’s executive director. She began work in May, succeeding former interim executive director Marland Buckner, who stepped down in June 2022. Mr. Buckner took the helm after Adele Johnson, the center’s longtime executive director, died in April 2021.

Ms. Warren joined the BHMVA after serving as director at The Concord House Museum and Historic Site in Prince George’s County, Md. She also was director of African American History Initiatives for the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis, and was curator of exhibitions at the Banneker-Douglass Museum for the Maryland Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. She earned a bachelor’s in history from Fisk University, and has worked as a public historian for more than 10 years, according to a news release about her appointment.

BHMVA faces some challenges as her tenure begins. Some of them are small, such as the front door that was sticking on a recent visit. Others are quite monumental, such as what to do with the Confederate statues the museum was gifted from the city and the fact that the two-story center is short on space. During a conversation in her sparsely decorated office at the museum, Ms. Warren said she “hit the ground running in different directions,” and that community engagement is a major priority.

Free Press: What attracted you to Richmond?

Ms. Warren: Richmond and Virginia are really the seat of the beginning of the story for African-Americans here in America. And if you study anything that revolves around enslavement, all roads lead you back to Virginia and Richmond. I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to kind of combine everything that I’ve done throughout my career in one position.

Free Press: What are some of the chal- lenges that the museum faces?

Ms. Warren: Space. As we continue to grow and figure out ... how do we hold space for the community here – we need more space. So that means that we will have to start taking programming and taking some of our history lessons outside of the walls.

Free Press: Do you see the museum as more of a gathering space or do you see it more as this archive of Richmond’s Black history?

Ms. Warren: I am definitely leaning more so toward the historian side, but I think we do have to honor our name. So, we are here to meet the needs of the community. And sometimes that means that we have to open ourselves up and operate specifically as the center half of our name. But in terms of the museum half, we are always going to keep the history first, the history of African-American people and people of the diaspora here in the state of Virginia.

Free Press: Is there anything you would like to add?

Ms. Warren: Just my excitement to be here. I’m looking forward to strengthening some of our pre-existing collaborations and partnerships that we have and also creating new ones. I’m open to learning, listening and just being a part of the community. That is what I’m most looking forward to, learning about our neighbors and finding new friends.

The BHMVA will screen “Our Inspiration,” a documentary about Maggie L. Walker, 6 p.m. Friday followed by a reception. This event is free and registration is requested. Please visit: https://blackhistorymuseum.org/