The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., built around the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, serves as a solemn and powerful tribute to the struggle for racial justice in America. (Photo courtesy of the United States Civil Rights Trail)
Dr. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, co-organizer of “The Journey to Freedom” Global Leadership Experience Tour, works to help the public understand the vital role of Black museums in preserving authentic history. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson)
by Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer
Black museums are more crucial than ever when it comes to teaching, learning and maintaining the authentic history of people of African descent. Institutions across the nation and beyond are working hard to keep pure records of what African Americans have been through, how they’ve overcome and what they still face.
“As our nation wrestles with how to tell the stories of the past and who and what should be highlighted in our history, Black History Museums, and experiences like our ‘Journey To Freedom’ Global Leadership Experience Tour create opportunities for today’s emerging leaders to walk in and be inspired by the steps of their ancestors,” said Dr. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, co-organizer of “The Journey to Freedom” Global Leadership Experience Tour. The initiative features various stops at Black museums such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. and Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
Dr. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, co-organizer of “The Journey to Freedom” Global Leadership Experience Tour, works to help the public understand the vital role of Black museums in preserving authentic history. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson)
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington D.C. is the only national museum that is exclusively tasked with documenting African-American history and culture. The museum opened its doors on Sept. 24, 2016, with more than 36,000 artifacts and a range of exhibits on African-American contributions to athletics, arts, the military and more. The NMAAHC is also the 19th museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
“Museums play an especially important role in preserving and protecting these stories and images from erasure or co-optation,” said Robinson.
In Memphis, Tenn., the National Civil Rights Museum is revered as one of the nation’s top heritage and cultural museums. It aims to tell the story of the American Civil Rights Movement, the lessons learned from it and how that era continues to shape equality and freedom in the U.S. and internationally.
The National Civil Rights Museum, established in 1991, is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a key figure of the civil rights movement, was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The museum features a range of lively speakers, interactive exhibits and special events such as the Ruby Bridges Reading Festival and free admission days.
The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., built around the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, serves as a solemn and powerful tribute to the struggle for racial justice in America. (Photo courtesy of the United States Civil Rights Trail)
“Education is the key to teaching empathy, compassion and changing the world for the better,” said Dr. Samora Otieno, chief program officer for CorpsAfrica. “Museums have always played a key role in that regard and Black museums have never been more important than they are now. Both in Africa itself–where the work of CorpsAfrica takes place–and externally, in the U.S. and abroad.”
CorpsAfrica is a nonprofit organization that trains and deploys young college educated Africans to facilitate community-led development projects in their countries.
Otieno pressed that Black museums are crucial to teaching history effectively.
“We all must know how we got to the ‘now’ and museums help us navigate and understand those journeys,” said Otieno. “Museums also act as important archives–lest we forget–and help to teach the next generation about the past, no matter how tough that might be. That helps us to honor and remember history.”
Robinson suggests that youth want to engage with their history in person.
“Because their world is so full of digital content, younger people are especially eager to experience these lessons first-hand,” said Robinson. “They want to gain knowledge, learn about different parts of history, and have the chance to see and be in the places where their ancestors walked.”
