On Wednesday in a ceremony on the National Mall with President Barack Obama in attendance, ground was broken for the building of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The NMAAHC will be located between the Washington Monument and the National Museum of American History, in the block of Constitution Avenue NW, 14th Street NW, Madison Drive NW, and 15th Street NW. Opening is scheduled for 2015. Presently, the NMAAHC gallery is located on the second floor of the National Museum of American History.
Stating, “Generations will remember the sometimes difficult, often inspirational, but always central role that African Americans have played in the life of our country,” President Obama in his speech at the ceremony also added, “This museum should inspire us as well. It should stand as proof that the most important things in life rarely come quickly or easily. It should remind us that although we have yet to reach the mountaintop, we cannot stop climbing.”
The President also said that though the museum will allow all, including his daughters, to “understand that injustice and evil exist in the world,” he continued, “But I also want them to hear Louis Armstrong’s horn and learn about the Negro League and read the poems of Phyllis Wheatley. And I want them to appreciate this museum not just as a record of tragedy, but as a celebration of life.”
To view the President’s entire speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, please click on the link at the left of the page.
According to its website, the NMAAHC has four goals:
- “The first is to create an opportunity for those that care about African American culture to explore and revel in this history.
- Equally important is the opportunity to help all Americans see just how central African American history is for all of us. The museum will use African American history and culture as a lens into what it means to be an American.
- Additionally, the museum will use African American culture as a means to help all Americans see how their stories, their histories, and their cultures are shaped and informed by international considerations – and how the struggle of African Americans has impacted freedom struggles around the world.
- Finally, as a 21st century institution, the museum must be a place of collaboration. We must be a truly national museum that reaches beyond Washington to engage new audiences and to collaborate with the myriad of museums and educational institutions, both nationally and internationally.”
“The Vision for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.” nmaahc.si.edu. Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture. n.d. Web. 22 February 2012.
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