Mission

DiasporaDNA Story Center is a cultural hub that explores origin stories and collective memories from the art, history, and lives of the global majority. We celebrate our shared humanity through story; kinkeeping the common threads of our diasporas across the continuum of time.

Vision

To establish a cultural center in Philadelphia in 2026, as the city and nation celebrates Its 250th Anniversary of Independence. Mobile programs in 2025 & Physical Cultural Center in 2026.

Learn more about DiasporaDNA

We Celebrate + Elevate + Venerate Our Diasporas.

We amplify the incredible legacies of the global majority through Passing the Torch of Story!

Our Offerings: Art / Archives / Ancestry / Activations

🎨 Art { Art and culture is our birthright! }

Artistic expression & Creative reawakening towards wellbeing and healing.

Our creative art therapy sessions and curated exhibitions offer our guests space to create and connect through mindfulness. Our offerings reflect diasporic artforms and intangible cultural heritage practices: the living expressions & traditions passed down through generations over time.

📜 Archives { Frontload knowledge, truth and inspiration! }

Witness wisdom from the past to reclaim knowledge, and reframe power for our present day.

We help spark critical thinking about the continuum of past, present and future through a lens of our shared humanity. Guests discover the hidden histories and rare books held in the Montgomery Collection. Our archive revitalizes public discourse & piques curiosity, essential for civics and inquiry.

🌿 Ancestry { The Ancestors Never Left You! }

Remember your roots and reconnect with yourself, your lifelines and your bloodline.

Tap into the power of memory via creative writing and genealogy scholar talks. Guests explore identities and intersections across diverse diasporas, echoing a sense of belonging and purpose. We honor the legacy and ingenuity of our ancestors, who illuminate our path to redefine our self regard

🎉 Activations { Celebrate Patterns of Our Diasporas! }

Connect with likeminds through history, nature, culture activities. We cultivate environments of joy and avidity thru our: City of Festivals bus tours, Delicacy cooking demonstrations, Patterns of our Diasporas Podcasts, Philosophy circles, Innerglow Greenspace nature walks + Sound baths, Story harvests, Escape rooms, Movie nights and more!

We amplify the incredible legacies of the global majority through Passing the Torch of Story! DiasporaDNA is borne of the grief of the founder recently losing both of her parents and aims to Honor your Ancestors & Mine!

DiasporaDNA is ephemeral richness..

* DiasporaDNA is street festivals, cultural fairs and celebrations.

* DiasporaDNA is Archives & Vibes

* DiasporaDNA is history and artistry fusion

* DiasporaDNA is written literature and spoken word

* DiasporaDNA is Storytelling, Kinkeeping and Ancestry Tracing

* DiasporaDNA means legacy never dies...

Our bedrock is the research and conservation of the Montgomery Collection, a treasured archive of time-worn photos, ephemera, magazines, history books, art and artifacts of black diasporic heritage, art and history.

Art and culture is our birthright.

We are making history everyday.

We provide tools, technique and training for the makers and minds in this generation, to be inspired by the continuum of time. Inviting visitors to take a deep dive into the archives, make art with us, and learn how to research and curate the legacies and histories we hold.

Copyright © 2023 - 2025 DiasporaDNA Story Center / DiasporaDNA.  All rights reserved. 

You're getting this message through your affiliation with Monica O. Montgomery MA who is a curator, community engager and consultant & Founding Executive Director of DiasporaDNA Story Center.