Southampton African American Museum (SAAM)

Museums & Galleries

To promote an understanding and appreciation of African American culture. In the late 40’s Emanuel Seymore a carpenter and barber by trade ventured out to uncharted territories from North Carolina during the Great Migration and had the audacity to purchase land in “ The Hamptons”. The edifice he built was half barbershop and half beauty parlor which Evelyn Baxter was the beautician. In 1969 Randy Conquest purchased the barbershop until its closing thereafter the Southampton Town Community Preservation Fund purchased the building. Fast forward the Southampton African American Museum (dba/SAAM) began in 2005 under the official name as The East End African American Museum and Center for Excellence. The museum gain their non profit status in March of 2008. In 2010, the Village Historic Preservation Board unanimously designated it as the first African American historic landmark in the Village of Southampton, and the process was started to transform it into our permanent space. On Juneteenth 2021 was the Grand Opening of the museum ironically the weekend Juneteenth became a Nation Holiday becoming the first black barbershop in the country to be transformed into a museum! We are a “ Sma…