Exciting Surprise?!?Free Tickets To The Museum!

I have heard about the NMAAHC since it was authorized in 2002 to be built and the tremendous feat to raise $540 million to build it. It seemed like a set-up but per usual, a way was made out of no way and the museum has finally opened its doors almost 15 years later. The best part is hometown architect Phil Freelon is the architect on record and a co-designer of the museum… a fact I shared repeatedly with my future architect son. I had to get him and his brother to D.C. to see what he could accomplish one day.

I did not make plans to go too close to the opening but when a friend offered her tickets for early October since she was unable to make it, I gladly obliged! My Dad was able to join us making it a three generation adventure!

Tip #1: Tickets go fast so please spread the love. If you can’t make it to your appointed time, please send your tickets to a friend or cancel them so someone else can grab them. There was an endless line of people without tickets standing in the rain with hopes of getting inside. That wasn’t happening without available space (aka tickets). Free yours up so others can have the opportunity to take it all in. 

Exploring African American History

Though we got into the building immediately, we still had to wait over an hour in line before we could see the main exhibit — three underground floors containing the history of my ancestors through my generation… from pre-slavery to present day.

It broke my heart to see some Africans who sold people into slavery, did so to keep from being enslaved.

And seeing the tiny shackles for children who were enslaved 😥 .

The middle passage display was not as emotional or jarring as the display I cried tears over at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit but it made a point.

I was excited to see the stories about the lives of my ancestors who lived in Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana. My Dad and sons left me as I read about the lifestyles, work and issues met by my people in these parts of the country.

I was horrified to see the number of enslaved people dramatically rose AFTER the Revolutionary War! Especially when many African-Americans joined the war including the first casualty Crispus Attucks.

Fortunately this museum shared diverse stories and artifacts of the enslaved and the free including self-emancipated Harriet Tubman.

The stories of slaves, slave masters, freemen, and the fight to make things right encompassed the whole first floor. We saw those stories no one likes to talk about or seems to be in denial about like…

Yes, slaves built the White House and here’s a picture portraying what it looked like!

or sharing how many of our nation’s powerful historical figures had slaves on their balance sheets and in their homes (looking at you Jefferson AND Washington).

Common themes of spirituality and entrepreneurship were scattered throughout the entire exhibit.

There was SO much to read. So much couldn’t be read since it was in very small, sometimes handwritten print. And we were trying to get through the museum so there really wasn’t time to read very much.

Tip #2: Be ready to expend a lot of energy. After a good breakfast, all that waiting, and exploration of HALF of the FIRST floor, my Dad and I started to hear the chorus of the day

“I’m hungry.”

Warning: Once you are on the first floor, it’s very difficult to leave and come back for anything. There is a bathroom and water fountain down there but none on the next two floors. Once you leave this exhibit space, you have to wait in line to return again. If you have children, I strongly suggest quietly bringing small, “clean” snacks to help the experience remain as pleasant as possible (shhh… it’s our secret).

Fight For Freedom

The second floor brought emancipation, reconstruction, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement. There was a chronological view of what freedom from slavery really meant after the end of the Civil War. The struggle was illustrated much more than I’ve ever seen before. Not only were the enslaved released with little to no resources for survival, there were actual groups and laws formed to hold them back from growing too much economically. Lynching became common to terrorize African Americans for any reason and no reason at all.

For a while, there were race riots occurring in cities across the country for anything from a white woman accusing a black man of whistling at her to accusations of job stealing. A big hole I saw when discussing race riots was the missing 1898 Wilmington Race Riot. I think this was one of the most significant riots to share because it is the only documented coup d’etat on U.S. soil. I’m sure it’s coming eventually, but still… THE ONLY COUP D’ETAT IN THE U.S. WAS AGAINST AN ELECTED CITY GOVERNMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS and this event did not make it into a museum all about African American History in the nation’s capital??

I was so amazed when I learned about this story just a few years ago because I didn’t realize African Americans had that kind of political power immediately post-slavery. Excuse me if I think more people should know about it. 

However, I was glad to see East St Louis, IL and its controversial past represented. I think the city remains in a state of blight because of how this went down nearly 100 years ago. To imagine this fight was about JOBS in EAST ST LOUIS.

This wasn’t the only story from close to home (by the way, I’m from St. Louis).

One of my favorite entrepreneurs, Ms. Annie Turnbo Malone, had a presence in the building. Although the display directly next to her about CJ Walker claims otherwise, evidence shows Annie Malone as the first black female millionaire. She did so much for St. Louis and her direct legacy continues working today.

I know the question of who the first black female millionaire can be a controversial topic. I hope the curators at NMAAHC or someone takes the time to clear this up once and for all.  

Of course there were regulars like MLK, Emmitt Till (in a powerful, special display in its own room), March on Washington, relics of the KKK (side note: I wondered why they were there, but this group DID have a profound effect on African Americans as an early modern terrorist organization) …

The information and artifacts in these displays were more comprehensive than other museums I’ve been to that were not specifically dedicated to one person or period of time — on that note, PLEASE go visit the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, NC for an awesome, emotional experience on the civil rights movement in the United States and others from around the world.

The biggest takeaway here was the fight my grandparents’ generation had to endure just to have some control over their own lives whether money to work or the ability to vote. They were terrorized in so many ways, even to the point of losing lives, because others didn’t want them to participate or use their voices. 

Tip #4: Take breaks. As you move to higher floors, you will see spaces to sit and watch video, or participate in other interactive media. I strongly suggest doing so as a way to get off your feet for a bit. My kids especially LOVED the interactive lunch counter. It gave them something to do and an opportunity to experience the kind of decision-making that took place during different resistance movements. There weren’t many seats there but I sat one child on my lap.