On September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened its doors to the public. Authorized in 2003 by former President George W. Bush, and placed in the last available lot on the National Mall, the museum had been under construction for over a decade. From its symbolic design on the exterior to the thousands of artifacts on the interior, it is quite possibly the greatest feat the Smithsonian has ever achieved (and I work at the Air and Space museum, so I should be biased). The dedication ceremony on its opening day featured influential speakers such as Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Robert DeNiro, Stevie Wonder, Chief Justice Roberts, George and Laura Bush, as well as Michelle and Barack Obama. Now, while the museum is fully booked for entry passes until March for the general public, to get you hyped for the release of more tickets, here are my top three reasons why you need to go visit the museum before you go monumenting.
1. Emmett Till’s Casket
Yes, this is the coffin the fourteen year-old was buried in back in 1955, after being taken from his uncle’s home and being brutally murdered by Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W Milam for whistling at Bryant’s wife earlier that day. The murder is known for sparking the Civil Rights Movement, and the room where this casket lies demonstrates that. It is the one place in the museum where you are not allowed to take pictures, and the casket sits at the back of a small side room dedicated to him. His family decided to gift the 60 year old coffin to the Smithsonian, as Emmett’s body was exhumed in 2005 and placed into a new coffin for reburial, leaving this one to be placed in a museum somewhere. It was impossible to lift your gaze from the fully-restored coffin and not see visitors crying or holding back their tears. It sits at the heart of the museum, the same way the boy will forever sit at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement.
2. Chuck Berry’s Cadillac El Dorado
On a happier note, upstairs past the long and winding history galleries in the museum, is a gallery dedicated to the influence African Americans have had on our culture over the years. The moment you walk into the section dedicated to music, you are greeted by a sleek, shining red convertible. The significance? It was a gift from Chuck Berry, the man John Lennon once credited as the person behind rock and roll itself. The singer responsible for famous tunes such as ‘Johnny B. Goode, ‘Run Rudolph Run’ and ‘Roll Over, Beethoven’ recently turned ninety, and throughout his career, he had driven himself to and from work. For any fan of classic rock, this car will take your breath away and make you smile. Other music-related treasures within the gallery included Berry’s guitar, Louis Armstrong’s trumpet, as well as outfits worn by Diana Ross, Michael Jackson (both as a solo artist and in the Jackson 5), Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, and Ella Fitzgerald.
3. Historic Black Womens’ Items
This wider category is dedicated specifically to the items throughout the museum that belonged to prominent women in our nation’s history. Harriet Tubman’s Shawl, Rosa Park’s dress from her infamous bus incident, Oprah’s dress from her show’s grand finale episode, and Michelle Obama’s dress that she wore to the 50th anniversary celebration of the March on Washington are definite highlights in the museum. Carlotta LaNier’s dress, the one she wore the day the Little Rock Nine attempted to enter Central High School after Brown v. Board of Education had desegregated schools, is also on-display. As the museum goes in chronological order, seeing the progression from the showcases dedicated to Harriet Tubman during the days of enslavement, to seeing the ones holding Oprah and Michelle’s fine dresses, is an emotional experience. But it is a happy one, seeing just how far we have come since the nation was first founded.
The way I look at the museum is that it is half tear-jerking, half smile-worthy, and an all-around an emotional journey. The lower floors focus exclusively on the history of African Americans in the country, and everything from the 3/5 Compromise to President Obama’s Inauguration is there. The upper floors tell the story of African Americans’ contributions to making our country’s history. Besides a section on music, there is one on other art forms such as theatre, film, television, and comedy. There are clothing items from films like Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg and 12 Years a Slave, as well as clips playing from modern shows such as Scandal and Black-ish, and pictures from the vaudeville era of Broadway in this gallery. Down the hall there is a section dedicated exclusively to black athletes—such as Michael Jordan, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, Muhammed Ali, Jackie Robinson, and many more. From statues of these people to their famous sportswear and personal belongings, it is quite a sight to see, even if you aren’t a sports fanatic. Like the Holocaust Museum down the street (one of the major museums in D.C that is not a Smithsonian), it is a somber and draining experience, but this museum does not only touch on the depressing history of African Americans in the United States. Instead, it paints a realistic picture of this piece of cultural history—the good, the bad, and ugly. And no other museum I have been to has ever quite encaptured that. So visit as soon as you can, and take a look around for the items that stand out most to you!