My Family's Visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture

A few weeks ago, my family and I took a trip to Washington, DC to visit the new Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture.  I have been dying to go to the museum since it opened in September 2016.  The trip was everything I expected and so much more.  Our visit to the museum was such a memorable and humbling experience.  I felt such a range of emotions seeing and reading all the exhibits in the museum.  If you haven't gone, you must.  This is absolutely something you have to see, feel, and experience for yourself. 

If I may, I’d like to make a couple of suggestions to anyone who hasn’t yet gone but is planning a visit.  If possible, plan to visit the museum when you have time to go at least 2 days in a row.  The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.  We spent the entire day at the museum when we visited.  While we were able to “see” everything, we technically were not able see and read and absorb everything the museum has to offer.  There is so much in the museum that it could literally take a few days in a row to truly see and experience everything that’s there.

Secondly, go to the museum when you are taking a long weekend or have a few days off before going back to work or school.  I remember hearing many people say (and feeling this way myself) that after seeing “Roots” for the first time ever, they felt some kind of way towards White folks.  The same is true of the museum.  There are some things you will see and read about that will anger you, that will sadden you, and will shake you to your core.  The brutality we have endured over the years at the hands of people who feel themselves superior to us?  Trust me.  Take a break before going back to work (lol).  You will need that time to decompress.

There are several floors at the museum.  We started on the bottom floors and worked our way up.  The bottom floors started with slavery in America.  The stories.  The pictures.  The videos.  It’s no surprise the bottom floors of the museum are so very dark literally and figuratively. 

Slave shackles on display at the NMAAHC.

While there were several things that took my breath away as I read all the exhibits in the museum, the exhibit that dealt with motherhood during slavery really stuck with me.

I couldn’t imagine giving birth to a child and not being able to care for my baby because I had to attend to massuh’s chir’ren.  I couldn’t imagine caring for and loving my child only to be separated from him or her later if one of us got sold away.  And when I read about how a slave owner repeatedly operated on enslaved women without using anesthesia … my spirit doubled over in pain at the thought of it.  He used these women as human lab rats!  I was shocked and angered.

And while some things took my breath away because of the horror and anger I felt, other things took my breath away because I was standing so close to greatness.

I was within feet of the Bible that was once in the hands of Nat Turner.  We saw up close and in person the shawl worn by Harriet Tubman in her infamous portrait.

And the Emmett Till memorial …

I first learned of the story of Emmett Till as a pre-teenager over 30 years ago, but his memorial in the NMAAHC still brought me to tears.  We stood in front of the actual casket he was buried in.  The funeral photos on display at the exhibit.  The video of his mother describing what she saw when she saw his body for the first time after his murder.  Jesus …

While I love reading and studying about Black history, I learned so many new things from my visit to the NMAAHC.  I learned of people, places, and things I’ve never heard of before. 

I’m originally from South Carolina and never heard of or knew the story of Frazier Baker.  While I’ve heard of the Little Rock Nine, James Meredith, and Ruby Bridges, there was Dorothy Counts who attempted to integrate a high school in Charlotte, NC. 

I think the thing that brought the most joy from our visit to the museum was watching my son read, digest, and learn about our history.

My son loves baseball, so he lingered a while at the sports exhibits, especially those dealing with baseball.  My daughter is only three years old, so we will definitely take her back when she’s old enough to understand the significance of it all.  We were able to capture this picture of her in front of the waterfall at the museum’s Contemplative Court.  In the background is a line from a Sam Cooke song … “A Change Is Gonna Come.”  I certainly hope so.  

I cannot adequately put into words or explain enough how much our visit to the museum meant to me.  After all the things we have seen and endured since we stepped foot in America and the things we STILL see and experience every day is a testament to our strength.  We are bold.  We are courageous.  We are unbreakable.  I’m saying it loud … I’M BLACK AND I’M PROUD.