In 1985, several activists occupied the abandoned Colman School in the Central Area, the proposed site for an African American museum, to claim the site and prevent its demolition. They occupied the building for 8 years, until 1993, when the non-profit African American Heritage Museum and Cultural Center was formed to oversee the museum project. The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) opened in the old Colman School building in 2008.

This poster expresses the frustration of activists with the slow pace of the task force appointed by Mayor Charles Royer to study funding and sites for the proposed African American museum. The graphic on the poster shows a keyhole view into the Mayor's office, with three figures with money bags for heads considering "condos and business interests," while a proposal for the use of the Colman School for the site of an African American Heritage Museum sits in a trash can. A sign on the wall reads "Profits Before Black People."

Caption information source: "Northwest African American Museum" by Mary T. Henry, HistoryLink.org Essay 8602