By Killian Maree-For the North Star Reporter
The National Black Doll Museum of History and Culture will hold a Halloween fundraiser at The Grand Chateau Owl in Norton.
The event will take place on Oct. 31, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The National Black Doll Museum of History & Culture preserves and presents Black history through the lens of Black dolls, art, artifacts and cultural exhibitions. Its mission centers on nurturing self-esteem, promoting cultural diversity and preserving Black history through the lens of Black doll collectors. The museum started out as a traveling museum in 2006.
The Halloween event is titled “Mystique Noir: A Masquerade for the Culture,” and is a semi-formal event and will cost $161 for entry. The money will go to supporting the museum, its signature Ebony Village Project, and its continuing efforts to secure a permanent home for its collections, exhibitions and educational programming.
Mystique Noir will include music, dancing, a silent auction, raffles, and a best costume contest.
Felicia Walker, co-founder of the museum, and the other owners have been looking for a new place for the museum for a while, as preserving the history of the dolls is their first priority and the future of the Emerald Square Mall is up in the air. Walker said that mall has changed ownership at least two times since the museum moved there.
“We’re not simply raising money for an event. We’re working to preserve a cultural legacy, protect our collections, and secure a permanent home where future generations can continue learning from the stories these dolls tell,” said Walker.
The event will also raise money to help with getting the museum’s Ebony Village Project into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest collection of holiday memorabilia created by Black people. According to Walker, the museum already has the record for the largest number of Black dolls in a collection in the country. Guinness charges $16,000 to get into the book of records.
While this is the first gala that the museum will be hosting, the museum did a fundraiser in 2008 when they held the first ever Black doll collectors convention in Mansfield, with over 250 conventioneers.
Walker said that hopefully Mystique Noir can become an annual fundraiser for the museum. Tickets to the gala can be found on Eventbrite. For those who cannot attend, people are invited to make a donation on Zeffy.
“All donations are welcome,” said Walker.