Kathe Hambrick is the Founder and former Executive Director of the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville, established in 1994 as Louisiana’s first African American museum. She also previously served as the Chief Curator and Director of Interpretation for the West Baton Rouge Museum. Her career as a museum professional includes an expertise in program development, interpretative planning, curation, grant writing, fundraising, and board governance. In 2021, Hambrick established the consulting firm, 2PRESERVE that provided cultural resource guidance to corporations, museums, cultural centers, government agencies, and faith-based organizations. She is a past President of the National Association of African American Museums.
In her role as a Public Historian, Kathe possesses a passion for collecting, preserving, and interpreting history for diverse audiences. She is considered an expert on the history and culture of African Americans in communities along the Mississippi River and she led the effort to preserve three slave cemeteries and six historic buildings in Ascension Parish. Throughout her career, Kathe has curated over 100 exhibits, including The Rural Roots of Jazz; African Influences on Louisiana Cuisine; Creole Du Monde; and The Square Collection that featured the original artworks of Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, and Tina Allen. Her most recent exhibit is the GU272 of Ascension: The Jesuit and Episcopal Connection to Slavery. Local, national, and international media, including the BBC Learning Channel, CBS Morning News, National Public Radio, and the New York Times have interviewed her.
Kathe is the author and co-author of several books: Juke Joint Men; Oh Say Can You See: Flag Paintings of Malaika Favorite; Our Roots Run Deep: The History of the River Road African American Museum; and a curriculum guide entitled Freedoms’ Journey: Understanding the Underground Railroad in South Louisiana. Hambrick was born in New Orleans and spent half her life in California where she received an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in African American Studies from California State University Long Beach. Kathe served as an adjunct professor at Southern University in New Orleans where she received a master’s degree in Museums Studies.
