The National Museum of African American History: A People's Journey

By Carelyn Tiburcio on September 29, 2016

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture officially opened on September 24th and it is truly a gift to the United States. The museum is located in Washington D.C, right next to the Washington Monument. It is placed in a location where it will stand proudly, next to other monuments and museums that have shaped the United States.

uwishunu.com

With about 37,000 objects to display, the museum is sure to be a hit. According to the article by The New York Times, The National Museum of African American History and Culture: I, Too, Sing America, visitors will learn about historic figures and artifacts in chronological order, starting from the lowest level and making their way to the top. Numerous people were also willing to donate their items to the museum. Artifacts, such as Nat Turner’s bible, were happily given to the museum.

nytimes.com

Many people came to support the museum on Saturday. More than 7000 guests came for the grand opening including, Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith. Speakers included former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.

bbc.com

George W. Bush signed the bill during his presidency to authorize the construction of the museum. It took many years to build this but here it stands, tall and proud in Washington D.C. Bush mentioned the dark past that America had and how it faces it’s history and corrects those mistakes. He talks about the sins of slavery and African American icons who had the courage to change America for the better. What stood out the most from his speech was how he said that we are still fighting for justice in this country and how this museum will continue to fight that.

President Barack Obama emphasized the fact that we have the power to change the way some things are. He reminds us that America has indeed moved forward.  Anyone who walks into the museum can see that. They can also see why there are protests about racial injustice. Obama inspired the whole crowd when he said how we can all see and understand each other.

It is a true blessing to have a museum based on the African American history and culture. I think that this is what America needs right now. Building off of what both Bush and Obama said, this museum gives us a chance to see each other more clearly. We must respect and understand each other in order to live peacefully and this museum will definitely help with that.

#APeoplesJourney

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