Remembering Dr. James Cameron, 1914-2006

On this day in 2006, our nation lost an unsung hero of the civil rights movement, James Cameron, and ABHM lost its founder. Dr. Cameron was a fighter for racial justice: an indefatigable opponent of the Ku Klux Klan and the organizer of several NAACP branches.

Through his writings, public speaking, and museum, he worked to awaken the conscience of the nation to the history of injustices that make up the Black Holocaust in America.

Despite the lynching he barely survived as a teenager, Cameron believed in the possibility of redemption and practiced forgiveness. He promoted African American leadership of the museum and included those he called “freedom-loving white people” in its operations.

In the last interview Dr. Cameron gave, a month before his passing at ninety-two, he responded thus to the question “What would you tell the actor who depicts you in a movie about your life?”:
“If you have love in your heart, you can bloom like a flower in the sun every day!”

To watch a video about Dr. Cameron’s life and work, click here.

Learn about other victims of lynching.

Find more news articles about being Black in America.