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To thine own self be true.

This is the motto that guides LaNesha’s life. She has learned through the ups and downs of life to be true to herself, embracing her strengths to build success. She is dedicated to transforming, strengthening, and unifying society through museums, libraries, and educational equity.

A woman speaking at a podium during an event organized by the Association of African American Museums, in front of an audience.
A woman wearing glasses, a black cap, a red t-shirt, and a denim jacket smiling in front of a bookshelf at the Northwest African American Museum. Behind her, a quote on the wall reads, 'We wish two things for our children: the first is roots; the second is wings.' The bookshelf holds various books and a framed photo. In the foreground, a person is partially visible on the left side of the image, and a black chair with a white bag featuring a lion drawing is in the center.
Woman with curly hair, glasses, and pearl necklace speaking at a podium with signage that reads 'Northwest African American Museum'.
Three women are sitting around a wooden table, smiling and laughing during a meal in a restaurant. The woman on the left wears glasses and a blue outfit, the woman in the middle wears a white blouse, and the woman on the right has short gray hair and wears a black jacket with a green scarf. There are plates with food, bowls, and glasses on the table, and a decorative black line drawing wall art in the background.
A smiling woman with glasses on her head standing at a convention booth with a microphones, displayed on a sign-up poster for a conference, with other booths and plants in the background.
Group of ten people, seven women and three men, gathered indoors around a table, smiling for the camera, with some sitting and others standing behind them.
A woman with black hair, smiling, wearing a yellow blazer with black sequined accents, a black top, and a silver necklace with a large pendant. She has a pair of glasses on her head.
Four people on stage at an event, with a woman speaking at a podium and the others standing nearby, against purple curtains and a large screen showing a partial word.

Diverse career experiences

Museum & Nonprofit Executive

Public Historian

Educator

Minister & Servant Leader

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Museum & Nonprofit Executive

For over twenty years, LaNesha has helped lead the growth of Black museums and history initiatives. She is Executive Director of BlackPast.org, the world's largest online encyclopedia on Black history, founded by historian Dr. Quintard Taylor.

From 2017 to 2023, she served as the award-winning President & CEO of the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) in Seattle where she led innovative, transformational growth. During that time, she established the museum's annual Malcolm X Day, Juneteenth Week, Freedom Weekend, the NAAM–Smithsonian partnership, and revitalized its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. She founded the African American Cultural Ensemble (ACE) — the nation's first permanent, ongoing museum choir — as well as the Elders Circle, the James Baldwin Circle, the Descendants Series, and Knowledge is Power, a cultural literacy program that freely distributed 25,000 new, beautifully illustrated African American children's books. She did all of this while leading the museum through the pandemic into a new strategic plan, with a relevant new mission statement, and elevating its fundraising to record-setting levels.

Public Historian

She was Senior Vice President of Education & Exhibitions at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, where she led its largest department. She is the Past National President of the Association of African American Museums and previously served on the Executive Council of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Her public history career began at the National Museum of Kenya in Africa, and she has studied museums and libraries in Ghana, South Africa, England, Germany, and Israel.

Educator

Before her career in public history, she was a K–12 history and language arts teacher. She earned a bachelor's degree in history and secondary education, a master's in museum studies, a master's in library science, and a master's in Comparative Black History. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Washington.

Minister & Servant Leader

In addition to her work as a historian and educator, she is an ordained minister and serves as Assistant Pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, one of Seattle's progressive social justice churches. The other motto that guides her life is "She believes she can, so she does."

As a librarian, books are at the center of her world. To see the Black history book she’s reading, visit the Read of the Week page.

“LaNesha, thank you so much for your incredible leadership… Your incredible way with words, ability to uplift those around you, and deep commitment to equity make you a truly powerful and effective leader, and you light the way for all those who follow you.”

— K. Hunter

“History is literally present in all that we do.”

— James Baldwin

To learn more about the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) and LaNesha’s tenure as its 18th National Board President, click on video above.

LaNesha’s leadership philosophy is centered around four key commitments: stewardship, partnership, presence, and service. These are rooted in her three professional core values of respect, resilience, and joy. Click on video above to view and learn more.

A black dog sitting on wooden flooring in front of a black door with a mustache-shaped painting above.
Contact LaNesha