This past weekend I had finally received the opportunity to experience the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The opening of this museum is something that was long overdue. But, I guess I shouldn't complain, because we finally got what we deserved: recognition for our excellence.
To put this in perspective, the National Museum of American History was founded in 1964. We just opened the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016...see the issue? The first question that should cross your mind is, "Well, isn't Black history American history? So we don't really need a separate museum?" Well, in an ideal world, no, we wouldn't need to set a distinction. But, we do.
From our earliest years, we can tell that there seems to not be an overlap or even an acknowledgement of Black history, or even Blackness, when it comes to being "American." We sit in classrooms that insist that we are learning about "American" history, yet they erase almost the entirety of our existence in their narrative. They only provide us with a guest appearance, when it best suits them. If we're lucky, they manage to squeeze in slavery, which apparently some school districts, like in Texas, are managing to gloss over that portion of history. We get to hear about how curriculum and even the overall society paints Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks as the "golden" activists, but only when it best suits them.
We turn on the television, and as we scroll through the TV guide, we land on BET, Black Entertainment Television. There's all these Black faces; faces that look like me. But, if you continue to scroll through the channels, you'll recognize the lack of people that you can identify with. You realize that you'd never see a rerun of Moesha or Girlfriends on primetime television, but instead you'll just see I Love Lucy or Friends.
Look around and you'll notice a line that divides our country, whether it be in our neighborhoods, in conversation, in our media, or in our schools. So, yes, we do need to have a separate museum, because without it, Black history would go overlooked. This may be the one time, when separate, but equal actually worked.
So, as I got to explore the museum, I was astonished. I had the luxury of seeing the fruition of our history being recognized. It honestly touched my heart to see all these pieces of history that many people miss out on, simply because a textbook isn't teaching you about it. There wasn't enough time to even fully immerse yourself in just one trip. In a world where my history is an elective and "American" history is a requirement, we need more places like this. We can't let the youth forget about where they come from. We get to hear about Martin, Rosa, and Malcolm, but what about Marcus, Frances, and Stockley?
