There are some events you photograph and others you feel incredibly grateful just to witness.
I had the pleasure of accompanying the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) to the African American Museum in Philadelphia's 50th Anniversary Jubilee, the perfect finale to a week spent gathering, learning, and celebrating together in the City of Brotherly Love.
As the sun began to set beyond the Philadelphia skyline, historians, museum professionals, families, artists, and community members gathered in one sacred space to celebrate 50 years of preserving and sharing African American history and culture.
And this was a celebration in every sense of the word.
Local food trucks and businesses served some of Philly's finest, while food, games, music, and fellowship created an atmosphere that welcomed guests of every generation. Even Philadelphia's Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club joined the celebration, representing a rich Black equestrian tradition deeply woven into the fabric of the city.
On stage, DJ Diamond Kuts and the Urban Guerilla Orchestra kept the rhythm flowing as guests moved between the festivities and the museum.
And then came the perfect finale. Marsha Ambrosius took the stage.
Having admired her artistry for decades, photographing her performance felt especially surreal. Hearing the songs we've loved for years while surrounded by a community celebrating our collective history made the evening feel even more meaningful.
But perhaps what I loved most was seeing history celebrated not as something that simply lives behind museum walls, but as something alive all around us—in the music, the food, the traditions, the laughter, and the people carrying these stories forward.
It was an enchanting and immersive evening celebrating our history, our culture, and our future.
As a photographer who deeply values documenting Black history and the institutions committed to preserving it, it was an absolute privilege to photograph it all.
Congratulations to the African American Museum in Philadelphia on 50 incredible years. Here's to the stories already preserved and all the history still being made.
Love Deeply,
Megan Pitts
Megapixels Media Photography
AAMP’s 50th Jubilee