My visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture!




I went back home last weekend and went to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The museum has several exhibitions that cover various aspects of African American life and provide a deeper understanding of the African American journey and its impact on American society as a whole.

Each floor in the museum covers different aspects of African American History. The museum is intentionally structured so that visitors begin at the lower levels and work their way to top as they learn about African American history. The three lower sub-levels below the main concourse that cover Slavery and Freedom, The Era of Segregation, and 1968 and Beyond. Above the main concourse, there are three additional levels that cover African American history post-slavery including music, visual arts, cultural expressions, sports, religion and the military. 

 

There’s so much to learn at the NMAAHC that you most likely won’t be able to view everything in one visit. I have been this museum about six times already and I always discover something new every time I visit. These are some things that I learned about during my recent visit. 


"Being Black in America is a science fiction experience" 
- Greg Tate


 

Receipt from slaveowners
This receipt includes the names of enslaved people who were bought and sold by slave traders and owners. I did a double take when I first saw this receipt because one of the names on the it is “Queen”, which is my name.
I stood in front of this artifact for 10 minutes
just to make sure that my name was actually
on the receipt. I’ve only met one other person named Queen in my lifetime. Learning that there was an enslaved person also named Queen, made me feel a deeper and more personal connection with my history.


"America is more our country... we have enriched it with our blood and tears." 
- David Walker



Weight range of cotton sacks
I learned that enslaved workers were required to fill three to five sacks of cotton a day which weighed between 25 and 75 pounds. This in addition to the extremely hot days, working long hours, and bending over the entire time because the cotton plants were so low, tested the mental and physical strength of enslaved people. I can’t even imagine mental and physical capacity that enslaved people demonstrated during slavery.



"Being an alien is just being yourself when no one understands you. We just trying to let everybody know there's a place for everybody in this world" 
- André 3000


Dorothy Height

Dorothy Height is known for her lifelong work for social justice. She served as the president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) for 40 years. In this role, she fought for civil rights and launched programs to improve the lives of African American children and women. She also received the presidential medal of freedom and the congressional gold medal for her work.  She is a well-known figure Washington D.C. because she was the director of Health Services at Howard University Medical School. There is a library and an elementary school in D.C. named after her. 




Although I’ve visited the NMAAHC so many times, I don’t recall learning about the background of its design. I decided to do some additional research to learn more. I learned that David Adjaye and Philip Freelon were the lead designers. Adjaye was the son of a Ghanaian diplomat and traveled to all countries in Africa. Freelon previously designed African American museums, historic sites, and archives around the world. The architectural design of the museum is inspired by the Yoruba Caryatid and ironwork created by enslaved craftsmen.


I highly recommend this museum for everyone, and to be mentally prepared when you do. The information I consumed made African American history, my history, more realistic and more personal. It encourages me to think about how close-to-home these experiences of my ancestors actually are. I felt more mentally and spiritually intact during this visit which left me feeling more aware of the history that I carry. 

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