Our mission is to inspire and empower people to value and preserve their historic journey. We hope our programs encourage and motivate future generations to learn how people born in bondage, held as property, and subsequently emancipated could then study, earn degrees and become leaders. The sharing of our history, which was previously omitted, adds significant value to the narrative of “Little Dixie” and the community of the formerly enslaved citizens of Tipton, Missouri.

ABOUT US

Opportunity 1888 is a private foundation started by descendants of Harrison School alumni. Opportunity 1888 is incorporated as a Missouri Nonprofit Corporation and has been designated as a Federal 501(c)(3) corporation. Our mission is to inspire and empower people to value and preserve their historic journey.

Objectives:

• To preserve the physical asset of the Harrison School, which was built in 1890 for the primary education of children of African descent.

• To preserve the history, landmarks, and presence of the Central Missouri African American community.

• To serve as an educational, cultural, and civic resource to promote Tipton’s African American history, implications, and connections to the larger society.

• To provide a means to engage in authentic communication of a largely unrecognized shared history.

• To impart the understanding that people born in bondage, held as property, and emancipated could then study, earn degrees and become leaders.

• To provide a space where individuals, teams, and organizations can address self-imposed barriers.

• To promote a more inclusive society.

Services we provide to persons, groups and academic institutions:

• Developing and presenting in-person educational forums in the field of African American history.

• Providing African American historical materials and consultation services.

• Conducting guided tours of The James Shipley Museum of African American History.

• Making local historic and genealogy research materials available.

• Furnishing virtual museum services via the Internet.

• Advancing the preservation of African American history and genealogical research.