Close
Let us go on a 17-day tour of Africa the Motherland of the human race and China to marvel over archaeological sites and the longest man-made structure on Earth. But before we headed out-of-town let us visit our own African history in America. Let us go to the brand new Smithsonian’s African-American National History Museum in Washington, D.C. a beautiful place that tells the story of slaves to the new land of ‘A Shining City On a Hill’ where these young men/boys/girls and women brought to this new land in chains on through to our present-day of how guns in the hands of some African-American are murdering African-Americans, of how some law enforcement officers shooting dead on the streets regularly African-Americans, due to lack of understanding, improper training, respect for black people’s, scared, frightened, shoot to kill mentality just like back in the bad old days of slavery even when we as a nation and people come this far with our children children of teaching them the differences and knowledge of and knowledge of the people and how to behave, that hating and killing isn’t a good thing. The nation’s first black president Barack Obama officially opened the massive beautiful structure to the public on Saturday, September 4, 2016 with former President George Bush a white man who fought with Congress to get funding and give the go ahead approval for this day and dreams to come through was right by the president side on opening day. It is a museum that seeks to understand American history through the lens of the African-American experience. Lonnie Bunch the director of the new history museum, led the effort to create this marvellous culture venue, and with hugs, tears and the ringing of church bells the museum was opened after many years of construction — and painstaking work by historians to research and follow leads in locating enormous amount of collection dating back to the early days of American slave trade.
Many of the must-see items at the history museum are things like shackles used on slaves worn before 1860, slave tiny cabin in South Carolina, a book of hymns owned by Harriet Tubman. A bible owned by Nat Turner. A National Negro Business League pin from around 1908 featuring Booker T. Washington. An entire train coach from Southern Railway that contained segregated compartments. A 1944 training aircraft used by the Tuskegee Airmen. A dress made and worn by Rosa Parks. A tape recorder used by Malcolm X in 1960. A ticket stub from the Feb. 25, 1964 World Heavyweight Championship bout between Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay. A program from Martin Luther King Jr.’s April 9,1968 funeral, Baptist Church Atlanta, Georgia. The warm-up suit worn by athlete Tommie Smith while raising his hand in the Black Power salute on the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics. Writer James Baldwin’s passport. Sammy Davis Jr.’s tap dancing shoes. A vest worn by Jimi Hendrix. A red Cadillac owned by Chuck Berry. A trumpet owned by musician Louis Armstrong. A jumpsuit worn by singer James Brown. A shirt worn by Michael Jackson during his 1984 Victory tour. Michael Jordan’s basketball shoes. Former secretary of state and retired four-star general Colin Powell’s army uniform. A door with rescue markings from when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. A button from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. The 350,000 square feet (33,000 m2) building has a total of 10 stories (five above and five below ground). The museum’s groundbreaking ceremony took place on February 22,2012.
On December 29, 2001 President George W. Bush signed legislation establishing a 23-member commission to study the need for a museum, how to raise the funds to build and support it, and where it should be located. At the signing ceremony, the president expressed his opinion that the museum should be located on the National Mall. A dream comes through with fantastic determination after failed compromises did not work and the bill died many more times, but Rep. John R. Lewis and others including Rep. Mickey Leland fought and never give up. And glory unto God after many changes African-American have their museum dating back to stories from days of slavery to present-day sometimes still racist and long history of discrimination against blacks in white-dominated attitude. We come along way with this first 20th century concept and failed proposals both on private fundraising and Congress rejecting or didn’t back the project, even though in 1929 then President Herbert Hoover did appointed commission charged with building a “NMB” for showcasing African-American achievements in the arts and sciences, but that also failed to take roots, but this now cannot be erased. ….Appreciates you. …_END_.