The Southampton African American Museum Held Founder’s Circle Fundraiser

The Southampton African American Museum (SAAM) held its annual summer benefit on Thursday, July 27, which this year honored event co-chair and philanthropist Jean Shafiroff in recognition of her support for the museum’s fundraising efforts. The benefit was co-chaired by Jean Shafiroff, her husband, Martin Shafiroff, and Aisha Christian and Michael Steifman, and was held at Main Prospect in Southampton.

The aim of the benefit was to support the museum’s campaign to support its operations. SAAM, a former Black barber shop opened on Juneteenth, 2021, and is the first African American site to be a historically designated landmark in the Village of Southampton and the first Black barbershop to be transformed into a museum in the United States. There was a special musical performance by Obie Award Winning actor Antwayn Hopper of Broadway hit “Strange Loop.”

Guests included Executive Director Brenda Simmons, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, NYS Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, NYS Senator Leroy Comrie, Antwayn Hopper, Judith Kasen-Windsor, Jade Trau, Angela Boyer-Stumpf, Marc Chiffert, Greg D’Elia, Anita Farrington, Michael Henry Adams, Jeffrey Banks, Nancy Stevens-Smith, Marsin Mogielski, Brigitte Segura, Binh Douglas, Lee Fryd, Patricia Shiah, Tom Shiah, and Hazel Forrester.