“All of our troubles would be gone in a while if white people smiled,” said Dr. Althea Hankins while clutching a poster of Frank Sinatra.
As the leading doctor at a medical clinic at 5801 Germantown Ave., she changed into a museum curator for our interview. She explained that the medical clinic and museum are former slave quarters in the basement and a World War II United Service Office.
This particular USO helped in reuniting former soldiers with their buddies from war. The last time passed through the USO was just last year.
“They were only supposed to stop by for a few hours, but ended up staying most of the day,” Hankins said.
The two-part museum that divides the WWII exhibit from its Slavery Exhibition is housed in a medical clinic. There is no easy way to tell this medical clinic apart from the rest of the pharmacies along the avenue. A slanted small sign that isn’t clearly visible through the clinic’s glass reveals the word “ACES” on it.
“Blacks used to be called spades,” explained Dr. Hankins. “That’s why we decided to call ourselves ACES.”
There is no clear order as to where the museum starts and how to access it due to a lack of funding.
“We’ve fought with developers; they wanted to build apartments here. We’ve fought with the city. But nobody understands that we haven’t gotten relics here. But we are a black relic,” she said.
“We approach history in that we do it positively,” said Hankins. ACES Museum focuses on the cooperation between different groups, rather than what set them apart or what their struggles were at the time.
“This is a museum… living, breathing testament to people… As long as they’re here, then we’ll be here for them,” she said with a smile.
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