On Tuesday, August 5, we took the DC Metro from Alexandria, VA, to the primary goal of the trip, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I had supported the museum financially since before it opened, but neither my wife nor I had been there. Conversely, our daughter had been there twice before. We ordered tickets online about a month earlier. They were free but scheduled for a specific time of entry.
I won’t describe the first display now because it requires a longer discussion. After I read a book I bought about it, maybe I’ll have a better handle on it.
I spent a lot of time looking at the sports section. It showed how complex the arena was. For instance, world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson fought former champ James F. Jeffries, the “Great White Hope,” in 1910 in “The Fight Of The Century.” After Johnson won, several dozen black people in various communities were killed because white people were rioting in America.
Conversely, Joe Louis needed to give champ James Braddock ten percent of his earnings for a decade to fight Braddock for the championship in 1937, a fight which Louis won.
Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. was very powerful. To no surprise, I was intrigued by Musical Crossroads.
How did this get built?
Other aspects of that museum were interesting, including the story of its very existence.
Not coincidentally, just before our trip to DC, a friend gave us a copy of A Fool’s Errand: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump by Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the facility and now the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian. After visiting the place, she appreciated the detailed narrative in the book more.
I saw Lonnie Bunch interviewed by Gayle King at the Apollo Theater in NYC in 2019.
Day two
The daughter returned to Albany on Wednesday, but my wife returned to the museum and started literally at the bottom. It is a powerful and occasionally overwhelming history of African Americans in the United States. See how many people were enslaved by European countries.
The year 1808 was significant. ” “Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves” took effect in 1808. However, a domestic or ‘coastwise’ trade in slaves persisted between ports within the United States, as demonstrated by slave manifests and court records.” Breaking up families was even more likely.
We ate at the museum both days. Much of the food is quite good, though a bit pricey. To avoid the lines, get there as close as possible to the 11:30 dining opening.
The one minor disappointment was that the signs suggested a centennial celebration of James Baldwin, though the author was well-represented in this and other Smithsonian facilities.
