In honor of Black History Month, I would like to take the time to share the amazing experience that I have had with the latest Museum that has been added to the Smithsonian Institute. I am talking about the widely popular National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), also known as the African American Museum in Washington, DC. In September, the NMAAHC had an amazing Grand Opening that featured former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama. The Guests included Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey, Patti Labelle and others. Even George W. Bush and Laura Bush were there to witness history.
Since that time, the Museum has been in such high demand that tickets are still required. However, I was fortunate enough to visit twice. Whenever I have stepped inside of that building, it is always an amazing experience with a very rich history. I have always been excited, because of the journey that we as a society have had to take and the contributions that we have made in this world.
The Architecture is revolutionary and very detailed. The color represents African American Architecture at it's finest and purest form. It is the manifestation of a beautiful vision.
I would like to share some of the highlights of this Museum through each floor.
Level 1: Heritage Hall (Main Entrance)
When you walk into the door, you already have a glimpse of how great the atmosphere is. This floor has the Welcome Desk, the Museum Store and it also has a Waterfall inside. It is called the Corona Pavilion.
Concourse:
This section shows the progression that we have made through history. There is an elevator that takes you to the lowest level of the Concourse. As you go down the elevator, you will see the most significant years in Black History: (Obama's Election, Brown v. Board of Education, Death of MLK, etc). Here is where we reach the beginning:
Part 1: Slavery and Freedom (1400-1877)
Most Notable Artifacts:
Harriet Tubman's Clothes
Nat Turner's Bible
Domestic Slave Trade
Transatlantic Slave Trade
Shackles from Slavery
Slave Cabin
Civil War Exhibit
Revolutionary War Exhibit
Emancipation Proclamation
There was also a display of Benjamin Banneker and Thomas Jefferson. Even though Thomas Jefferson said that he believed all men were created equal, Banneker called him out for owning slaves at the same time. The biggest highlight for me in this section was Nat Turner's Bible along with the garments that Harriet Tubman wore. There is also a display of the Civil War and Revolutionary War as African Americans were enlisted in those wars at the time.
Part 2: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation 1876-1968
Here we reach the time period of segregation and the Modern Civil Rights Movement featuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and others. This covers the time period from the Jim Crow Era to Rosa Parks' refusal to move, Emmett Till's Death, the March on Washington to Dr. King's Death.
Most Notable Artifacts:
Segregated Railcar
Emmett Till Memorial
Freedom House
Lunch Counter
Rosa Parks Dress
Civil Rights Movement Display
Shards of glass and shotgun shell from 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL.
Training Aircraft used by Tuskegee Institute
Ku Klux Klan robe and belt
Part 3: A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond
Finally, we reach the point of this Exhibit where we witness the progression of American American Society from 1968 to where we are now. Unfortunately, Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. However, there was also a part of America that was witnessing a shift to more acceptance. In this display, we see the impact of African Americans in Entertainment and Politics. From Soul Train, Good Times, Cosby Show, etc., this display shows the steps that we have taken in society since 1968. On this floor, you can hear James Brown proudly sing "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud". There are also displays of Movie Posters such as Foxy Brown and other movies. My favorite part of this display is the Wall that shows our Impact through each decade from the 70's, 80's, 90's to today. There is also a wall with a Giant Public Enemy Poster. There are also displays for Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama. When it comes to the Modern Impact, there is also an Invitation to former President Barack Obama's Legendary 2009 Inauguration, as well as a Black Lives Matter T-Shirt.
Most Notable Artifacts:
Events of 1968
Display of Decades
Public Enemy Wall
Oprah Display
Michelle Obama Display
Black Power Jacket
Door with rescue markings from Hurricane Katrina
Black Lives Matter T-Shirt
Barack Obama 2009 Presidential Inauguration Invitation
This floor also has Oprah Winfrey's Theater and the Sweet Home Cafe, which has a variety of different African American Food from different parts of the Country from the North, South, East and West. The Cafeteria is amazing.
Level 2: Explore More! Interactive Gallery
This is the Exclusive Interactive Part of the Museum with an Interactive Gallery. On this floor, there is a touch screen where you can select an artifact and read about it. There is also an Interactive Step Video. There are also portraits of the Civil Rights Movement and other moments in Black History.
Level 3: Community Galleries (Power of Place, Making a Way Out of No Way, African American Military, Sports: Leveling the Playing Field)
This is one of my favorite floors to visit next to the last floor that I will cover later. This is the floor that pays tribute to our Impact within the Church, the Military, Education, and Sports. As soon as you walk into this gallery, you will see artifacts such as a desk from a small school in the early 1900's. You will also see artifacts from the Church during the early 20th Century. As you continue to explore, you will also see a display dedicated to the African American Military. It is an awesome experience to see how we have made contributions to the different Departments of the U.S. Military. The Artifact that stood out the most in the Military section is the uniform that Marcus Garvey wore. Next, we see an Exclusive Exhibit for the Greatest of All-Time: Muhammad Ali. This display has Ali's Robe, his headgear that he wore during training, signed Boxing Gloves and a ring bell. There are also posters of his fights as well as videos of him. Ali's impact reached far beyond the Boxing Ring. There is also a section dedicated to the Bronx, the Birthplace of Hip-Hop. In this display, you can see the turntables along with vinyl records, and concert posters as well as a video from 1979-80. I would also like to point out the tribute for Shirley Chisolm, the very FIRST Woman to run for President, contrary to the narrative that the media spins to make it look like Hillary was the first. As we move along, we reach my favorite part of this floor, the Sports Section. Here, we see the contributions of African Americans in Sports, as we have been known to dominate whatever we touch. In the middle of this section, there is a statue display of the Runners from the 1968 Olympics. An Iconic part of not only African American Sports, but Sports overall. As you go inside, there is an outstanding display of Olympic Artifacts, from Ali's Olympic Uniform in 1960, all the way to the Dream Team in 1992 with a special autographed Basketball from Magic Johnson. As you dive in deeper, you will see the Basketball section which is the most detailed section of the Sports Department. As you go inside, you are treated to a wealth of Basketball History, with a Statue of Michael Jordan's last shot against the Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals. I also enjoyed the Artifacts such as Julius Erving's ABA Basketball along with his 1983 Championship Ring with the 76ers. It was also great to see autographed shoes from Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, and George Gervin to name a few. Bill Russell's autographed jersey was another classic piece of memorabilia. You will also see a great statue of Jesse Owens along with Serena and Venus Williams. There are also tributes to Jackie Robinson, Jim Brown, Arthur Ashe, Jack Johnson and others. The Sports display is called the Michael Jordan Hall for Game Changers.
Most Notable Artifacts:
Marcus Garvey Uniform
Muhammad Ali Display
Olympic Memorabilia
Michael Jordan Statue
1968 Olympic Statue
Venus & Serena Statue
Jesse Owens Statue
Bill Russell Jersey
Shaq's Shoe
Dr. J ABA Basketball
1983 NBA Championship Ring
Tommie Smith's warm up suit from the 1968 Olympics
Level 4: Cultural Galleries (Musical Crossroads, Taking the Stage)
This was the coolest floor in the entire Museum, followed by the Sports & Military Section on the Third Floor. As I went up to this floor, it felt like I died and went to Heaven. As soon as I got into the Musical Crossroads area, it felt like a party. There was so much to take in, and the artifacts were absolute pieces of beauty. From Chuck Berry's Cadillac to Michael Jackson's outfit from the Jackson 5, James Brown's Jumpsuit, to the Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership. Where do I even begin? It looks like I already did. It was a "Who's Who?" of different Music Legends on Display. On each side of the Mothership, you had the outfits that George Clinton and Bootsy Collins wore. Public Enemy's Boombox and Run DMC's Adidas were also up for Display. Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick's Dresses were in the display case along with Whitney's American Music Award. In the middle of the floor was what I call a "Music Wall" with a list of African-American Artists throughout history with Famous Quotes in the middle. Inside of this wall, they showed a series of performances from Marion Anderson, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix all the way to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" performance at the Motown:25 Celebration. There was even a tribute to Go-Go Music as well as a tribute for Frankie Beverly & Maze. It was African-American Music History in its purest form. It was an honor to see how we have been the Architects that shaped the landscape of Music. There was also an Interactive Area where you could choose what music you wanted to listen to. From Stevie Wonder to Michael Jackson to Biggie Smalls. Whatever you wanted they had it. On this same floor, you had the "Taking the Stage" Area which pays tribute to our contributions and impact in TV and Films. From Good Times to the Cosby Show, along with other shows, we have had a strong presence in the world of television. Modern shows such as Boondocks and Blackish were also featured. There was also a tribute to Black Hollywood. With Costumes and Posters from Cleopatra Jones, Boyz N The Hood, Sister Act to 12 Years a Slave. There was also a piece highlighting Sidney Poitier's impact in Film. I would have to say that this was the most detailed floor along with the previous floor. In the Cultural Expressions section, there are a number of artifacts ranging from Salt & Pepa's earrings, Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 1 Shoes, a Dashiki, among other items.
Most Notable Artifacts:
Chuck Berry's Cadillac
Music Wall
Michael Jackson's Fedora
Jackson 5 Outfit
James Brown's Black Cape
Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership
Public Enemy Boombox
Run DMC Sneakers
JJ Evans Hat
Flip Wilson's Geraldine Dress
Earth, Wind & Fire Outfit
Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 1 Shoes
In Conclusion, this magnificent journey through Black History was a dream come true. It is amazing to see how we have been such instrumental pioneers in the shaping of this country. As former President Obama said in the opening ceremony, we are not a side note of history. Black History is American History. It was great to see our History told the right way, instead of being whitewashed by the media. African-Americans have been at the forefront of the most significant movements in American History. We have been the revolutionaries and visionaries behind the biggest events of society. The best thing about this is the fact that people from all other races and cultures enjoy this journey of history as well. It is a fantastic learning experience and makes me proud of my Heritage. Without question, this is the most popular museum and the best museum that I have ever been to.
Black History shapes the fabric of American History.
10/10
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