The International African American Museum (IAAM), which recently opened its doors, honors the difficult and often untold stories of the African American journey.  It is located in Charleston, South Carolina, on Gadsden’s Wharf, one of America’s most sacred international slave trading ports.  The museum uses technology, including Sony’s, to combine storytelling and history while providing heightened engagement, communication and education.

With support from Sony’s Global Social Justice Fund — which champions social justice and anti-racist initiatives and fosters diversity, equity and inclusion around the world — the company’s top-of-the-line technologies, such as Crystal LED direct view displays, professional 4K HDR BRAVIA displays, 4K SXRD and 1080p laser projectors and professional wireless audio and mics were implemented to help the IAAM’s visitors engage with history and bring artifacts to life.  The technology also serves to expand upon the stories introduced in the museum, which are intended to help heal and facilitate a larger dialogue about our cultures and pasts.

The IAAM deliberately designed and programmed an interactive, multi-platform experience for today’s digital natives, who have a high standard for technology and a desire to connect with stories in multi-faceted, multi-sensory ways – inside and outside the facility.  The museum sought technology that would amplify the experiences of the African American journey in a manner that would deepen the narrative and provide added levels of connection, immersion and reality.

Dr. Tonya M. Matthews, President and Chief Executive Officer of IAAM says, “Every good museum will focus on the stories and the storytelling.  I think for an African American History Museum in particular, there’s added weight and added excitement when African Americans get to tell their own story because for so long that wasn’t what we saw in museums.  I’m very excited about the way that the museum is using technology to activate and to enhance these stories.  It’s an integral part of who the IAAM is.”

As Malika Pryor, Chief Learning and Engagement Officer, explains it, “We are a museum that has been designed to share and we’ve embraced the idea of curating beyond our walls.  As a new museum, we’ve leaned into technology as a way to really communicate…”

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