Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Journey
Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum
Welcome to a special place that honors Hawai‘i as the birthplace of our 44th president and shares the powerful history of African-descended communities who have shaped island life for over 200 years.
Honoring the Past, Empowering the Future
A Place to Learn, Remember, and Celebrate
The Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum has been in Honolulu since 1997, but many people still don’t know it’s here. It started as the African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawai‘i, created to share powerful stories that were missing from textbooks and museums.
In 2018, the name changed to honor the 44th President of the United States, born right here in Hawai‘i.
For over two decades, volunteers have worked in collaboration with institutions such as the Hawai‘i Judiciary History Center, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, the National Park Service Arizona Memorial, and the Honolulu Hale Municipal Gallery to bring these histories into public view.
Some of this history has been hidden in archives for over 200 years, like the role African-descended people played in Hawai‘i’s early communities and during World War II.
You won’t find President Obama at the museum, but you will find something just as powerful: the stories of people who shaped island history and helped build the Hawai‘i we know today.
This museum exists to keep those stories alive and to invite young people like you to learn, share, and be part of the journey.
See how Hawai‘i’s youth are connecting with the past to shape the future. In this special news feature, students share what the Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum means to them and why this history matters now more than ever.
Maya Soetoro-Ng Visits the Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum
The Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum recently welcomed a very special guest children’s author, peace educator, and University of Hawai‘i professor Maya Soetoro-Ng.
Maya, who is also the sister of President Barack Obama, visited the museum for a community book signing and shared her newest children’s book, The First Day of Peace. The event brought together families, students, educators, and supporters from across Honolulu to celebrate literacy, connection, and compassion.
Visitors had the opportunity to meet Maya, get their books signed, and hear about the message behind her work a reminder that compassion and understanding can help us build a better world together.
This event was more than a book launch it was a celebration of literacy as a tool for empowerment, imagination, and inclusion.
At the Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum, we believe literacy is more than learning to read it’s how young people begin to imagine their place in history, shape their futures, and connect with others across generations and cultures.
When children read, they don’t just turn pages they open doors.
We’re proud to support opportunities that inspire young minds to lead with empathy, curiosity, and purpose.
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