Imagine having a Blacksonian in your own home!
Meet Elizabeth Meaders, a retired school teacher who houses about 50,000 pieces of historic African-American items and memorabilia … all under one roof. In what may be the most comprehensive collection of African-American history assembled by a single person, pieces of black history sit in literally every room of her modest five-bedroom New York City home, creating a makeshift museum experience.
NBC News had the pleasure of taking a tour of Meaders' home. There is an array of priceless items in every room, such as a medal honoring Crispus Attucks; letters written by Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and several American presidents; heavyweight boxing championship belts from Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton and Mike Tyson; irons worn by slaves; uniforms from the Civil War and even relics from the KKK.
"It shows what the challenge was for those who were trying to catapult all the hate," Meaders explained. "These are unique treasures from the African American history trust. Each one of them a talking point and a documentation of important African American history."
Of course, you'd think that all of these pieces would be donated to a museum. She has had some offers for her pieces and has even loaned a few items to museums. However, for the most part, Meaders is keeping these jewels close to home.
She told NBC that her family can trace their genealogy to the 1700s and that her great-great grandfather was the last slave freed on Staten Island. She also values the significance of African-American history, specifically criticizing the lack of teachings in schools. "I know the significance of this neglected history," she explained. "This has been a chore and a challenge I gave to myself and it has been a labor of love."
Meaders has been collecting items for the past 50 years. She has amassed so many things that appraisers have put the value of her collection at $10 million. Most of the pieces in her collection are things that she has bought herself; she told NBC that she's even refinanced her house in order to have the liquidity she needed for things she just had to have.
Amongst all these pieces, Meaders has to have a favorite, right?
Well, she does. Her most prized possession is a Civil War medal commissioned by General Benjamin Butler. A white general impressed with his black troops, Butler became upset when his commanding officers refused to acknowledge the bravery of his men due to their race. So, he went to Tiffany's and, using his own money, had 200 medals created. Meaders has one of the few that remain.
Meaders ended the tour by reading a message from a back arts collective's time capsule from 1890 found in a Boston building. "May the truth it contains last when this structure shall have crumbled to dust."
May this collection exist indeed … forever.
