I’m not going to lie to you - I’ve been weighed down with a lot on my mind these days. I’m sure a lot of you are as well, given the state of affairs in this nation right now. Especially if you’re Black. You’ve got people getting fired for dumbassed reasons, plane crashes and other mishaps, people being hurt and stressed out. Resiliency is in the blood, but we are having it tested to the utmost once again.

 

In times like this, it’s important to lean into the things that sustain you. For me, I had a chance to get away for a couple of days to see family and friends down in Washington, D.C. I’ve always had a good connection to “Chocolate City” from way back when I was in the backseat of my father’s blue Cadillac driving down for weekend stays with my aunt and uncle in the suburb of Silver Spring. I got reacquainted with the city after a good friend moved there in the months before Barack Obama became president, and for the next couple of years, I was down there regularly. 16 years later, it can be hard to keep track of the way D.C. has changed. But I was eager to get back to visit one of the newer additions - the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, aka “The Blacksonian”.

 

I got the chance to first visit the NMAAHC shortly after it opened its doors in 2016 with close friends. On this visit, much like the first time, walking up to the majestic building on the National Mall was invigorating. Stepping inside, with a keenly curated soundtrack greeting the ears, made me feel right at home. I met up with a good friend I hadn’t seen in a while, connecting on the first floor of the museum. At the NMAAHC, the proper way to visit is to begin on the first floor downstairs, then make your way up through each history gallery detailing the long and formidable journey of Black Americans in this country. 

 

It’s an experience that leaves you feeling every single emotion possible. The newer exhibits such as an interactive display giving you a chance to choose your role in the Civil Rights struggle, and the Emmitt Till Memorial (the only part of the museum you aren’t allowed to take photos or video in)…it can lead you to anger and sorrow. That feeling changes once you lay eyes on the numerous accomplishments in every field Black people have made, and the archival material on hand will reinforce the power in those moments. The NMAAHC’s collection of artifacts is growing, with over 40,000 items to date and only 3,500 on display. Those items include the actual Mothership from the legendary funk band Parliament’s concerts, the late NBA great Kobe Bryant’s 2008 NBA Finals uniform, Nat Turner’s Bible, and a plane used to train the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II among so many others. 

 

We had a chance to check out a new exhibit, “In Slavery’s Wake: Making Black Freedom in The World”, and “timely” doesn’t begin to describe its impact. The way the global curatorial project focuses on the Black diaspora and how each community within it navigated colonialism, imperialism, and other forces to still thrive and resist and reinforce their strength is something I feel other institutions need to learn from.  And all of it tied together with the motif of water…I felt so much pride in who WE are, and how we have thrived. The exhibit, open until June, is slated to head overseas with its final showing to take place in Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Before leaving, we stopped in the Contemplative Court to exhale. The enclosed waterfall and reflecting pool allowed us both to catch up and talk about our lives, and what we were dealing with. I replayed the past few hours - I saw families, buses of teenagers, elders in their Sunday best and some in sweats, and many in different stages of expressive joy and somber thought. Every staff member greeted me warmly. I had to restrain myself and my credit card in the gift store which carried everything from handmade earrings to books to Rap Snacks potato chips. I marveled again at how much this space, years after my first visit, revived me in places I didn’t know I felt depleted. Stepping out into the waning sunlight of the late afternoon, I felt that energy surge even more, grateful to be beautifully Black and that this museum is a permanent testament to that experience.

 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is open daily from 10:00 A.M. to 5:30 P..M.