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just_the_things29. Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture
I've been wanting to go to this since it opened--unfortunately, so has the rest of the country. This month, they eliminated the need for tickets on weekdays, so I decided to take a day off work and go see it, finally. There were other visitors there, obviously, but it wasn't crowded at all. I spent a little over 5 hours there, and I never made it into the special exhibit gallery or to one other place in the museum. But I still think I saw plenty. I loved the community and culture galleries in the top floors. Starting off the bottom three levels in slavery and working our way up to modern day was powerful and emotional. I didn't actually expect to cry as many times as I did. It was wonderful seeing a lot of familiar names and images throughout--people I'd learned about in school or more recently. But there was also plenty I learned for the first time like what a bottle tree is for and the women who were part of the Niagra Movement in civil rights. I loved seeing pieces of the past--items actually owned by people I admired. I ate lunch at a counter right by a photo of four young men at a lunch counter sit-in. I understand the point of "The Paradox of Liberty" display, but I was pretty annoyed to walk into a room and see a giant status of Thomas Jefferson front and center. But the rest of the museum was fantasic. It's definitely a thoughtful and important way to honor such a large portion of the history and culture of the US. I already look forward to my next visit!
I've been wanting to go to this since it opened--unfortunately, so has the rest of the country. This month, they eliminated the need for tickets on weekdays, so I decided to take a day off work and go see it, finally. There were other visitors there, obviously, but it wasn't crowded at all. I spent a little over 5 hours there, and I never made it into the special exhibit gallery or to one other place in the museum. But I still think I saw plenty. I loved the community and culture galleries in the top floors. Starting off the bottom three levels in slavery and working our way up to modern day was powerful and emotional. I didn't actually expect to cry as many times as I did. It was wonderful seeing a lot of familiar names and images throughout--people I'd learned about in school or more recently. But there was also plenty I learned for the first time like what a bottle tree is for and the women who were part of the Niagra Movement in civil rights. I loved seeing pieces of the past--items actually owned by people I admired. I ate lunch at a counter right by a photo of four young men at a lunch counter sit-in. I understand the point of "The Paradox of Liberty" display, but I was pretty annoyed to walk into a room and see a giant status of Thomas Jefferson front and center. But the rest of the museum was fantasic. It's definitely a thoughtful and important way to honor such a large portion of the history and culture of the US. I already look forward to my next visit!
