International African American Museum Furloughs All Staff Amid Funding Crisis

The International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston, South Carolina, has furloughed all employees, including leadership, due to financial difficulties. The museum opened in June 2023 at Gadsden's Wharf, the landing site for at least 100,000 enslaved Africans. The 20-day furloughs are staggered from July 1 to December 31 to keep the museum open six days a week. President and CEO Tonya Matthews stated the museum faces a 10-20% deficit and lost federal funding, citing shifts in state-level funding and corporate donor priorities. The museum is restructuring its fundraising model to avoid layoffs. This reflects a national trend: a 2025 American Alliance of Museums survey found over a third of 500 US museums reported federal grant or contract cuts, with two-thirds unable to replace lost funds.