About

MoAD, a contemporary art museum, celebrates Black cultures, ignites challenging conversations, and inspires learning through the global lens of the African Diaspora.

Our mission

MoAD, a contemporary art museum, celebrates Black cultures, ignites challenging conversations, and inspires learning through the global lens of the African Diaspora.

Click here to download the MoAD 2024: One Page Summary

Our History

The Museum of the African Diaspora opened to the public in 2005 and is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization.

MoAD is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and plays a vital role in the local arts community. MoAD is uniquely positioned as one of the few museums in the world focused exclusively on African Diaspora culture and on presenting the rich cultural heritage of the people of Africa and of African descendant cultures all across the globe.

Amoako Boafo, Soul of Black Folks - Fall 2021
Billie Zangewa, Thread for a Web Begun - Fall 2021

Our Funders

MoAD relies on the generous support of our donors and members. The Museum is also deeply grateful for the year-round grants we receive from foundations, corporations, and government funders, who have helped make this Museum what it is today.

Smithsonian Affiliate

San Francisco's Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops long-term partnerships with museums and other cultural and educational organizations. Through the Affiliate network, the Smithsonian shares content, resources, and expertise including educational programs, exhibitions, and other activities. Affiliate organizations work in collaboration with the Smithsonian to catalyze critical conversations in their communities, introduce issues of historic and contemporary importance, and help their audiences to better understand the world around them.

Read All About It - Affiliates in the News

African American Smithsonian sets a new standard for museums as destinations