Somali-American businessman hopes to preserve homeland's culture in museum
by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio,Rupa Shenoy, Minnesota Public Radio
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minneapolis restaurant owner wants to create what might be the only museum of Somali artifacts and culture.
Osman Ali says he has more than 700 artifacts in storage that he wants to house in a museum. He and other organizers are holding a two-day benefit beginning Friday at Lincoln International High School.
Ali says he was driven to collect artifacts because all the museums in Somalia were destroyed during the long civil war.
"Right now there's not any museum in anywhere except some collections in some small rooms in some regions of Somalia. But we don't have any kind of a building that says that's a museum," Ali said.
He says the museum will serve as a resource for younger generations of Somalis to learn about their heritage.
Broadcast Dates
Tom Crann
• Host, All Things ConsideredTom Crann is the host of All Things Considered for MPR News.
