Dr. Deborah Johnson-Simon is a Museum Anthropologist and the Founder & CEO of the African Diaspora Museology Institute (ADMI) in Savannah, Georgia. Formerly known as The Center for the Study of African and African Diaspora Museums and Communities, ADMI is a research lab dedicated to studying Black cultural institutions and the experiences of African Diaspora descendants.

With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Johnson-Simon has worked on museum and cultural heritage projects across multiple states, including Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. Her research extends internationally, covering African Descendant museums in Belize, Ghana, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

She has taught at Santa Fe Community College and the University of Florida, where she earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology. She also holds an M.A. in Anthropology & Museum Studies from Arizona State University and a B.A. in Anthropology/Sociology from Rollins College. Currently, she serves as a Scholar-in-Residence at Savannah State University.

A frequent speaker at museum and anthropology conferences, Dr. Johnson-Simon co-edited Second Generation of African American Pioneers in Anthropology (2018, University of Illinois Press). She is currently working on The Kiah Museum Story, documenting the legacy of artist and museum founder Virginia Jackson Kiah.

Artist

Ackeem Salmon is an art director, educator, and interdisciplinary artist from Kingston, Jamaica, now based in Detroit. His work spans photography, painting, music composition, harp performance, and site-specific installations, exploring themes of identity, postcolonial theory, and cultural history.

A graduate of the College for Creative Studies with additional studies at the Paris College of Art, Ackeem combines visual and musical storytelling to create immersive experiences. His harp compositions weave improvisation with structured narratives, reflecting on space, time, and emotion.

Ackeem’s work has been featured at venues such as Sotheby’s New York, Galerie Joseph in Paris, Val de Vie Estate in South Africa, and the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit. He has also performed at spaces like the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, Faena Forum in Miami, and Théâtre Douze in Paris. His contributions to the arts have earned recognition, including the 2024 Ashley Longshore Excellence in the Arts Award and the 2023 Gilda Snowden Award from the Kresge Foundation.

Beyond his artistic practice, Ackeem is committed to expanding access to the arts and education. He serves as a National Teaching Artist for the University of South Florida’s R.E.A.C.H. initiative and is the founder of Mirrored Glass, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to supporting artists and young professionals through collaboration and mentorship.

To learn more please visit his website:

ackeemsalmonart.com