Citing Financial Trouble, Charleston’s International African American Museum to Furlough Staff
Charleston’s International African American Museum (IAAM) announced it will furlough its entire staff, including senior leadership, in a 20-day program beginning July 1 and running into December in staggered phases, while the museum remains open. The move comes ahead of the museum’s third anniversary on June 27 and is intended to reduce expenses and avoid layoffs as the institution refocuses on fundraising and sustainable revenue. IAAM reported more than $11.1 million in revenue in 2024 (up from $7.4 million in 2023), but $12 million in expenses produced an operating deficit of $883,273; contributions and grants exceeded $8 million in 2024, including $2.2 million in federal funding (down from $4.3 million). The museum, located on Gadsden’s Wharf—recognized by UNESCO in 2024 as one of 22 sites of exceptional significance to the history and teaching of the transatlantic slave trade—cited a shifting political and philanthropic landscape and broader federal arts-funding cuts under the Trump administration.
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This story was covered in Repatriation Reckonings and Museums Under Siege