Nestled in Boston, MA’s Beacon Hill neighborhood is the Museum of African American History, a collection of historically rich, restored structures. Located on The Black Heritage Trail, the museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the experience of African Americans throughout the 18th and 19th century, honoring historical leaders and campaigns, including the anti-slavery Massachusetts General Colored Association, and the New England Antislavery Society. While the Museum’s known for its incredible offerings, it’s also known for being one of Boston’s biggest secrets, a place the average Bostonian might not even know exists. Cory Mack and Diana Mucchiut were ready to change that.
Flash back to the beginning of 2021—Cory and Diana were seniors at Emerson University, about to embark on their capstone project for the Students of Business and Creative Enterprises program. The goal was to pick a company, then find a way to improve an aspect of it. Cory and Diana’s group chose the Museum, with the task of bringing more visibility to it.
“Kind of opening up Boston’s biggest secret a little bit, [that] was our idea,” Cory said.
So, the group went to check it out. What they found was preserved, beautiful rooms, in particular, the African Meeting House, a room built in 1806 built by Black Artisans as a public community gathering space to advocate for freedom. Over the years, the space had gone through several renovations and uses, but in 2004, the Museum decided to restore the space to its form from 1855, a significant historical time for the Meeting House. The result was what Cory and Diana saw, an incredible, high ceiling room with long, yellow benches that could once again be a space to gather.
“We wanted to be able to show off that space and showcase what it offers to the public,” Cory said.
The next question became how to fill the space, but the answer came fairly quickly. Cory and Diana had both been to Sofar performances in Boston, and felt it was just the kind of experience that would suit the intimate nature of the Meeting House. But, the Museum board preservationists were hesitant about bringing in live music.
“…coming from college students… ‘What are these kids gonna bring in, a crazy band? It’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna be messy,’” Diana said. “We worked really hard to convey that’s not what we wanted.”
After some research and a few conversations, the Museum staff gave the ok, and Cory and Diana’s group got to work, collaborating with Sofar to set the night up. The process ended up turning into nine months of planning, but it paid off.
Business of Creative Enterprises end of the year awards ceremony. We got the Outstanding Group Award! L to R: Professor Wes Jackson, Diana Mucchiut, Cory Mack, Gengchen Zhang. Photo by Justin Schmalholz
“It was our group trying and trying to get it to work, and oh my god it worked, it worked so magnificently well,” Cory said. “Everyone at the museum was thrilled by the end of the concert.”
The show took place in April in the Meeting House, where more than 100 listeners came to hear music from Zami Inez, Paul Willis, and Albino Mbie, all sung under the high historical ceiling. Toward the end of the night, in between songs, Albino Mbie took a minute to reflect on the space and how much it had held over hundreds of years. Then he continued on with his set, the audience quietly listening.
“It became really powerful for the audience— white, black or brown, everyone was able to make a connection,” Cory said. “The faces of the people leaving that show were so happy.”
Words by Sofar Editorial Team
Photo credit: The African Meeting House, photo by Cory Mack
