A Helping Hand for Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum

Dr. John Bowman Banks was the first African-American Doctor licensed to practice medicine in the city of Natchez.About 1892, the Banks House was initially built in the Queen Anne Style and was remodeled in the Colonial Revival Style after around 1905.

The Banks House, now a museum, served as headquarters for the NAACP during the 1960s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house has sustained water damage due to leaks and is in need of repairs. Your donation will be used to help make repairs to preserve the structural integrity of the house and prevent further damage to the historical structure and interior.

The Banks House also holds significance as Natchez’s first site on both the American Civil Rights Trail and the Mississippi Freedom Trail.Dr. John Bowman Banks Museum was established in 2020 to offer a perspective of Natchez history and community life during the early twentieth century and to depict the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s.

Although solidified in Black History and rooted with a message for African Americans, the museum presents a story that is appealing to people of all races, cultures, and backgrounds.

I, Michael Wilson, have helped setup this GoFundMe on behalf of Ms. Thelma Newsome, a staff member of the house involved in advocating for the restoration, at the end of the fundraiser funds will be transferred directly to the organization responsible for restoration