Shantay Robinson
The opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture was met with a lot of fanfare. I was not yet living in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area when it opened in 2016, but the nation was excited by its concept. When I moved here in 2017, I found out that acquiring tickets was still challenging. On any given day, there are long lines of people waiting to enter the space, and once inside, the space is bustling. Getting tickets is not as challenging as it once was. Though the museum is free, getting tickets in advance is still necessary. When I finally visited in 2019, I found out what all the hype was about.
I was able to get tickets for me and some family members on a Friday afternoon with little hassle. We followed the recommended path the guides suggest by going to the lower level and working our way up to witness the relics from the history of slavery at the lowest level all the way up to the visual art. If you’re new to African American history you’re in for a shock. But even for those of us who have read countless books on the subject, it’s still a bit jarring to see the actual tools that enforced slavery as an institution in the US for so long. Viewing these tools gives a clearer picture of what Black people who were enslaved had to endure and why it was so difficult to escape captivity.
The thick metal shackles that were used to chain Africans sit behind glass encasing heavy with guilt. Just thinking of the pain they must have caused is enough to make a heart sink. The exhibition, In Slavery’s Wake, that tells the story about slavery in the United States is laden with sorrow. Approaching Harriet Tubman’s shawl encased in glass with the words “Seizing Freedom” above it brought a wash of grief over me, as I let out a deep and heavy cry. Hearing Tubman’s story, reading about her, and watching the film make her seem superhuman. The thought of her even needing a shawl shows that she was in fact human. It’s hard to believe anyone can come away from this exhibition not feeling a sense of despondency.
Harriet Tubman: Seizing Freedom
The museum features special exhibitions that tell of the history and culture of African American people at different moments in time. During my first visit, the special exhibition was about Oprah Winfrey, and as she is someone I look up to faithfully, I was enamored with the relics from The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Color Purple, and other productions she lent her golden hand to. NMAAHC currently features an exhibition, Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures, about Afrofuturism as a concept that is central to many forms of Black culture from books to music to films. The exhibition is filled with artifacts from throughout history and even from before the term Afrofuturism was coined in 1993. These special exhibitions make for good reasons to visit the museum often.
Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures
Ascending from the lower level up to the higher levels visitors encounter contemporary culture from Motown’s history to spoken word poetry. But all the way at the top nestled in a corner of the space is the visual art exhibition. On my first visit, there were barely any visitors in the space. I was so happy to see so many recognizable artists’ names and their works on the walls. The art exhibition features art by well-known artists from throughout history as well as many contemporary artists from around the country. The museum recently revamped the visual art space with an exhibition titled, Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. Though all the art in the space is beautiful and meaningful, the piece de resistance is the portrait Amy Sherald created honoring Breonna Taylor. In Sherald’s signature style, the figure is represented in grisaille, the gray-scale she paints her figures in. The bright blue of the background, which is a slightly different shade than Taylor’s dress, gives Taylor life in spite of her heinous death by the hands of police officers. And although bringing Taylor back to life is impossible, she will always be remembered, especially by all the visitors to the museum who get to witness this beautiful portrait.
Breonna Taylor by Amy Sherald
The museum truly is amazing. The artifacts in them are organized in a way that could overwhelm the senses. There is so much to look at and learn from. But thankfully there is a space for meditation from the experience of the visit called The Contemplative Court that features a tranquil water feature where visitors can decompress from the weight of the exhibitions.
The Contemplative Court
One visit really isn’t enough. For those of us living in the DC area, visiting regularly is possible. But for those from out of town, definitely schedule at least four hours to really connect with the artifacts in the exhibitions. Also, save your appetite for the museum’s soul food restaurant, Sweet Home Cafe. The food is delicious!