Greenville News: 15 Minutes With … Dr. Tonya Matthews of the International African American Museum
By Leanne Cobb
Dr. Tonya Matthews was taught never to turn down an opportunity without exploring it first. But in 2020 Dr. Matthews, like many others, was more focused on stability and familiarity than new opportunities.
Still, lessons engrained during childhood run deep, so when a national search firm called Dr. Matthews to discuss the position of President and CEO of the new International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston, she was willing to listen. She says she liked what she heard and couldn’t say no to the chance to lead the museum, which was not yet open but was already 20 years in the making.
