My Experience at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Recommendation: 10/10

This is a huge museum split between History and Culture. I walked around for 4 hours and barely made a dent in consuming all the information it had. There were so many different ethnicities at the museum including white people. It is so important for ALL Americans to know Black history because it is American history. We can’t expect change if Black people are the only people caring about us.

The history portion is very gruesome and alarming if you did not have past knowledge of it. For example, there were multiple images of men being hung, and one man did not even have his head attached.

I saw black people walk out of the history section of the museum with intense anger for how this country has treated us. So be prepared for that potential emotion when coming to this museum. For me, I felt more privileged and gratitude towards past civil rights activists that I do not live in the same America that my American grandparents had to endure. They lived in the time of Jim Crow Laws (‘whites’ only and ‘blacks’ only sections), and the opportunities extended to them were very limited. So, I could choose bitterness over the past, but I choose joy. I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams being college educated and being a tech consultant. Bitterness diminishes the hard work of our ancestors and poisons us.

Blackness is more than oppression. We are not limited or defined by white supremacy. We are trendsetters, pioneers, and we deserve for those moments to be recognized. This is why the culture section was my favorite! We have made so many contributions in cinema, dance, music, and fashion. We are THE CULTURE. And I refuse for oppression to be our main narrative. I choose BLACK JOY. So, I am thrilled that this museum highlighted not only our struggles, but also how we continue to prosper as creative geniuses.