NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE ACQUIRES ITEMS FROM THE AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

On Friday, Oct. 11, ABFF Ventures, LLC., announced that objects, photographs, documents and other memorabilia from The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) archives have been acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The items will join the museums’ permanent collection and commemorate the ABFF’s rich 24-year history.

The American Black Film Festival (formerly Acapulco Black Film Festival), was first held in June 1997 by its originalfounders, Jeff Friday, Byron E. Lewis and Warrington Hudlin. In 2002, the Festival moved stateside to continue its commitment to community, providing a platform for up-and-coming filmmakers of color and bringing together creatives in appreciation of one another’s work, to challenge, encourage and uplift each other.  ABFF is dedicated to recognizing black talent and showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent, and continues to be a vehicle to strengthen the black entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education and artistic collaboration.

Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther”), Stephen Caple, Jr. (“Creed II”), Will Packer (“Girls Trip”), Issa Rae (“Insecure”), Omari Hardwick (“Power”) and Kevin Hart (“Night School”), are among the beneficiaries of ABFF’s unique and prestigious talent pipeline programs designed to identify, introduce and showcase artists — including directors, actors, writers and other content creators — to the industry at large.

The museum has selected 10 American Black Film Festival artifacts to join its historical collection:

• Awards: ABFF Wood Trophy/Award designed by fine artist and sculptor Cheryl R. Riley, presented to Bill Duke in 1997 for Distinguished Career Achievement as a Filmmaker

• Documents:  1997 ABFF Program Guide, 1997 ABFF All Access Pass and VIP Pass, “Hav Plenty” VHS video tape (1997)

• Photographs:  A collection of six (6) photographs of celebrity attendees by photographer Karl Crutchfield. Celebrities include Bill Duke, Halle Berry and Denzel Washington.

• Objects: Watch, Sterling Silver Necklace, Sterling Silver Bracelet. Items given to VIP attendees at the 1997 Festival. Recipients included: Debbie Allen, Morgan Freemen, Halle Berry and more.

These items were donated by Nicole and Jeff Friday.

“Recognizing the cultural significance and historical import of the long-standing American Black Film Festival, it is thrilling to have objects from ABFF join the museum’s permanent collection. For nearly a quarter century, ABFF has been at the forefront of celebrating the history and cultural value of African American storytelling and image-making, so receiving objects that highlight the vision and creative spirit of ABFF was deeply important,” said Rhea Combs, Supervisory Museum Curator of Photography & Film, Smithsonian, National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“Being a part of the NMAAHC’s prestigious collection of historical artifacts is an amazing honor and significant milestone for the ABFF.  It brings a great sense of pride and excitement that ABFF’s legacy is recognized as an important piece of African American history and culture,” said Jeff Friday, ABFF Ventures CEO.

The American Black Film Festival has been helmed a “top Festival” by reputable media outlets, including One of the Coolest Festivals in the World by MovieMake Magazine; 10 Best Film Festivals by USA Today; Top 100 Events in Miami by BizBash Magazine and One of the Best Events Around the World by PROHBTD.

ABFF Ventures continues to expand the Festival programming initiatives and will grow its brand year-round to include the About Women Conference, ABFF Global Series (ABFF London debuted September 2019), ABFF Fit (Health and Wellness series) and ABFF Honors (annual awards show honoring Hollywood creatives).

Begin with the Past: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Begin with the Past: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture by Mabel O. Wilson

Rising on the National Mall next to the Washington Monument, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is a tiered bronze beacon inviting everyone to learn about the richness and diversity of the African American experience and how it helped shape this nation. Begin with the Past: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture is the story of how this unparalleled museum found its place in the nation’s collective memory and on its public commons.

Begin with the Past presents the long history of efforts to build a permanent place to collect, study, and present African American history and culture. In 2003 the museum was officially established at long last, yet the work of the museum was only just beginning. The book traces the appointment of the director, the selection of the site, and the process of conceiving, designing, and constructing a public monument to the achievements and contributions of African Americans. The careful selection of architects, designers, and engineers culminated in a museum that embodies African American sensibilities about space, form, and material and incorporates rich cultural symbols into the design of the building and its surrounding landscape. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a place for all Americans to understand our past and embrace our future, and this book is a testament to the inspiration and determination that went into creating this unique place.

BUY THE BOOK

No Passes needed to Visit the NMAAHC on Weekdays Through February 2020

From Labor Day through February, you won't need a pass to enter the museum on weekdays, the NMAAHC announced over the weekend. Visitors will be able to enter the museum on a first-come, first-served basis on weekdays starting at 10 a.m.

You will, however, still need a timed-entry pass on weekends. You can get same-day passes for weekends online.

In addition, advance timed passes for Saturdays and Sundays in December will become available starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. You'll be able to search for advance timed passes for Dec. 1 and the weekends of Dec. 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29.

You can also reserve passes here https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes ot by phone by calling 844-750-3012.

Admission and passes are free.

If you're visiting on a day that passes are required, remember that everyone in your group will need his or her own pass, including babies. In addition, the museum will continue to require advance timed-entry passes every day for groups of 10 or more.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture to acquire archive of Ebony and Jet magazines

The National Museum of African American History and Culture will acquire a significant portion of the archive of the Johnson Publishing Company, the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines. The acquisition is pending court approval and the closing of the sale. 

A consortium of foundations—the Ford Foundation, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation—is making this acquisition possible. The consortium will transfer the archive to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Getty Research Institute.   

The archive, purchased at auction for $30 million, includes more than four million prints, negatives, and media that explored, celebrated and documented African American life from the 1940s and into the 21st century. 

“It is a distinct honor for the museum to be invited to join the Getty Research Institute and other leading cultural institutions to safeguard and share with the world this incomparable collection of photographs,” said Spencer Crew, acting director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. 

“We applaud the generosity of the consortium of foundations that made this acquisition possible.  And we pay homage to the vision of John H. Johnson and his commitment to bringing to the nation and the world, the story of the African American experience—in all its complexity and all its richness. Ebony and Jet were the only places where African Americans could see themselves. They were the visual record of our beauty, humanity, dignity, grace, and our accomplishments. 

“Being the steward of the archive is an extraordinary responsibility, and we are humbled to play a critical role in bringing new life to these images. With the depth of its curatorial expertise and the technical skills in digitization, the Museum stands ready to marshall its forces to make this archive accessible to the widest possible audience.  We are honored to work with our recipient colleagues to make this gift to the nation possible.”  

The Museum has built a distinctive photography collection that includes more than 25,000 prints, negatives, and photographic materials. Photographers represented in the collection include Anthony Barboza, Cornelius M. Battey, Arthur P. Bedou, Bruce Davidson, Charles “Teenie” Harris, Danny Lyon, Jack Mitchell, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Gordon Parks, P. H. Polk, Addison Scurlock, Lorna Simpson, Aaron Siskind, James Van Der Zee, Carrie Mae Weems, and Ernest Withers.  

U.S. Bank invests $1 million with the National Museum of African American History and Culture

U.S. Bank announces a $1 million investment with the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C. With this five-year investment, U.S. Bank will join the prestigious Corporate Leadership Council, a community of engaged corporate donors whose values reflect a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Honoring and celebrating African American culture is an important part of American history,” said Andy Cecere, Chairman, President and CEO of U.S. Bank. “At U.S. Bank, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and the arts – which brings us closer together and strengthens our communities. Through this support of the National Museum, we hope these historical stories and rich cultural experiences will continue to inspire many for generations.”

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. The Museum opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution and stands upon four pillars. One pillar – to help all Americans see how their stories, histories and cultures are shaped and informed by global influences aligns with U.S. Bank employees’ shared core value of drawing strength from diversity.

About the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 6 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu, follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.

About U.S. Bank

U.S. Bancorp, with 74,000 employees and $476 billion in assets as of March 31, 2019, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States. The Minneapolis-based bank blends its relationship teams, branches and ATM network with mobile and online tools that allow customers to bank how, when and where they prefer. U.S. Bank is committed to serving its millions of retail, business, wealth management, payment, commercial and corporate, and investment services customers across the country and around the world as a trusted financial partner, a commitment recognized by the Ethisphere Institute naming the bank a 2019 World’s Most Ethical Company. Visit U.S. Bank at usbank.com or follow on social media to stay up to date with company news.

Contact

Susan Beatty, U.S. Bank

612-303-9229; susan.beatty@usbank.com

Dr. Spencer Crew named Interim Director of the National Museum of African American History & Culture

Spencer Crew is serving as the Interim Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). He is also the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of American, African American and Public History at George Mason University. 

Spencer has worked in public history institutions for more than twenty-five years.  He served as president of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for six years and worked at the National Museum of American History (NMAH), Smithsonian Institution for twenty years.  Nine of those years, he served as the director of NMAH.  At each of those institutions, he sought to make history accessible to the public through innovative and inclusive exhibitions and public programs. 

His most important exhibition was the ground breaking “Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1915 – 1940” which generated a national discussion about migration, race, and creating historical exhibitions.    He also co-curated “The American Presidency A Glorious Burden” which is one of the Smithsonian’s most popular exhibitions. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center has attracted worldwide attention because of the quality of its presentations and focus on race, interracial cooperation, and issues of contemporary slavery.

Crew has published extensively in the areas of African American and Public History.  Among his publications are Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1915 - 1940 (1987), and Black Life in Secondary Cities: A Comparative Analysis of the Black Communities of Camden and Elizabeth, N.J. 1860 - 1920 (1993). He co-authored The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden (2002), Unchained Memories: Readings From The Slave Narratives (2002), Slave Culture: A Documentary Collection of the Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project (2014), and Memories of the Enslaved: Voices from the Slave Narratives (2015).

Crew is an active member of the academic and cultural communities, serving on many boards that work to generate enthusiasm for history among the public. He is the Past Chair of the National Council for History Education, Trustee Emeritus of the Board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and served on the Nominating Board of the Organization of American Historians and the Board of the American Association of Museums.   

He is a graduate of Brown University and holds a master's degree and a doctorate from Rutgers University. He is a member of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

Previously Unknown Photo of Young Harriet Tubman To Go on Public View for the First Time

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will display—for the first time—the Emily Howland photography album containing a previously unknown portrait of abolitionist and Underground Railroad-conductor Harriet Tubman. The Howland album will be the museum’s first acquisition to be displayed in Heritage Hall, the museum’s main entry hall. It will be on exhibit Monday, March 25, through Sunday, March 31, and then relocated to the “Slavery and Freedom” exhibition on the C3 Level in the museum’s History Gallery.

“This photo album allows us to see Harriet Tubman in a riveting, new way; other iconic portraits present her as either stern or frail,” said Lonnie G. Bunch III, the founding director of the museum. “This new photograph shows her relaxed and very stylish. Sitting with her arm casually draped across the back of a parlor chair, she’s wearing an elegant bodice and a full skirt with a fitted waist. Her posture and facial expression remind us that historical figures are far more complex than we realize. This adds significantly to what we know about this fierce abolitionist—it helps to humanize such an iconic figure.”

A recently announced visitation policy allowing for walk-up entry without passes Monday through Friday starting at 1 p.m. will provide visitors access to viewing the Tubman photograph.

Two years ago, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress jointly acquired the photograph as part Howland’s photo album. Howland (1827–1929), a Quaker school teacher, taught at Camp Todd, the Freedman’s School in Arlington, Virginia. The album was originally compiled as a gift for her. Containing 49 images taken circa 1860s, it includes a more commonly known Tubman portrait taken later in life and images of Sen. Charles Sumner, woman’s activist and abolitionist Lydia Maria Child, organizer Samuel Ely, William Henry Channing, Col. C.W. Folsom, Charles Dickens and the only known photograph of John Willis Menard, the first African American man elected to the U.S. Congress.

Read more about Emily Howland's photo album here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/news/album-previously-unknown-photo-young-harriet-tubman-go-public-view-first-time

Passes once again required for admission to National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African-American History and Culture is going back to its traditional admission system for the rest of the year.

Last month, the hugely popular museum held what it called Walk-Up Weekdays, but with the passing of September it returned to requiring passes that are only good at a particular date and time, and obtained in advance, to get in.

The museum will do Walk-Up Weekdays again in January. The timed passes for January — which apply to the weekends — will be made available Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 9 a.m.

The museum also makes some same-day passes available at 6:30 a.m. each day until they run out, and a limited number of walk-up tickets are available at 1 p.m. each weekday.

All tickets are free. You can check availability on the museum’s website.

[SOURCE: WTOP]

111-year-old black veteran gets African-American museum tour

NAACP DENOUNCES RECENT WAVE OF VANDALISM AGAINST AFRICAN-AMERICANS

The NAACP issued the following statement after a noose was found Wednesday, May 31, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. and after NBA star LeBron James’ house in Los Angeles, California was defaced with the N-word.

“We are deeply troubled and disturbed by the heinous acts of racism that occurred on Wednesday,” said Leon Russell, Board Chairman of the NAACP. “Leaving a noose – a symbol and weapon of hate – in front of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture and vandalizing the home of NBA superstar LeBron James, underscore the recent increase in hate crimes committed against African-Americans under the Trump Administration. The NAACP will not sit by idly while our people continue to be assailed by racist and cowardly actions. Furthermore, we call on the Trump Administration to stand up and speak out against these attacks.”

“Atrocious acts like those committed on Wednesday demonstrate the divisive animus that is pervasive throughout our country. The NAACP stands with the Smithsonian and with Mr. James and is wholly committed, now more than ever, to protecting equal rights of all persons and to eliminating race-based discrimination in the United States. We will not be deterred,” said Derrick Johnson, Vice Chairman of the NAACP.

LONNIE BUNCH III TO RECEIVE PRESIDENT’S AWARD AT NAACP IMAGE AWARDS

Lonnie Bunch III, the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will be honored at the NAACP Image Awards.

The NAACP announced today that historian, author, curator and educator, Lonnie G. Bunch, III will be presented with the NAACP “President’s Award” at the 48th NAACP Image Awards telecast LIVE from 9-11 p.m. ET on February 11 on TV One.

The NAACP “President’s Award,” chosen by NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks, is bestowed in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.  Past honorees include John Legend, Van Jones, President Bill Clinton, Soledad O’Brien, Ruby Dee, Muhammad Ali, the Founding Members of the Black Stuntmen’s Association, Kerry Washington, and Spike Lee.

“Historian, scholar and author Lonnie G. Bunch III, has secured among the sacred places of the American story, a place of honor for the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s history. As the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), he has helped to amplify stories of our struggles and striving to wrest the shackles of oppression from both body and mind in our undeniable quest to be free,” said Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP.

“Dr. Bunch’s relentless work to shine a magnificent light into the incredible American prism of the Black experience from enslaved plantations to the White House mansion, has earned him this year’s NAACP President’s Award. The award bears the name of the NAACP but is invisibly inscribed with the names of Americans of every hue and heritage representing the gratitude of the nation for Dr. Bunch’s efforts.”

Lonnie G. Bunch, III is the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.  In this position he is working to set the museum’s mission, coordinate its fundraising and membership campaigns, develop its collections, and establish cultural partnerships.  He is designing a high-profile program of traveling exhibitions and public events ranging from panel discussions and seminars to oral history and collecting workshops.

Prior to his July 2005 appointment as director of NMAAHC, Bunch served as the president of the Chicago Historical Society, one of the nation’s oldest museums of history (January 2001-June 2005).  There, he initiated an unprecedented outreach initiative to diverse communities and launched a much-applauded exhibition and program on teenage life titled “Teen Chicago.”  He also led a successful capital campaign to transform the institution in celebration of its 150th anniversary and managed an institutional reorganization.

Bunch has held several positions at the Smithsonian.  As the National Museum of American History’s (NMAH) Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs (1994-2000), he oversaw the curatorial and collections management staff of nearly 200.  In addition to leading the curatorial team that developed the major permanent exhibition “American Presidency: A Glorious Burden,” he served as co-author of the exhibition’s companion book by the same name.

While assistant director for curatorial affairs at NMAH (1992-1994), Bunch developed “Smithsonian’s America,” an exhibition that explored the history, culture and diversity of the United States; it was shown in Tokyo, Japan as part of the “American Festival Japan ’94.  He also supervised the planning and implementation of the museum’s research and collection agendas.  As a supervising curator at NMAH (1989-1992), he oversaw several of the museum’s divisions, including Community Life and Political History.

From 1978 to 1979, Bunch was an education specialist and historian at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, where he developed multi-cultural instructional programs and researched and wrote the history of African Americans in aviation.

Bunch served as the curator of history for the California Afro-American Museum in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1989.  There he organized several award-winning exhibitions including “The Black Olympians, 1904-1950” and “Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950.”  Committed to making history accessible, he also produced several historical documentaries for public television.

A prolific and widely published author, Bunch has written on topics ranging from slavery, the black military experience, the American presidency and all black towns in the American west to diversity in museum management and the impact of funding and politics on American museums. In 2010, he published the award-winning book “Call the Lost Dream Back: Essays on Race, History and Museums.” “Slave Culture: A Documentary Collection of the Slave Narratives” was published in 2014 and in 2015 he published “Memories of the Enslaved: Voices from the Slave Narratives.”  In 2016, Bunch co-authored “From No Return: the 221-Year Journey of the Slave Ship Sao Jose.”  Lectures and presentations to museum professionals and scholars have taken him to major cities in the United States and to many nations abroad including Australia, China, England, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Ghana, Senegal and Cuba.  Since 2008, Bunch has served as the series co-editor of the “New Public Scholarship Edition” of the University of Michigan Press.  During the inaugurations of President Barack Obama, Bunch served as an on-camera commentator for ABC News.

In service to the historical and cultural community, Bunch has served on the advisory boards of the American Association of Museums, the African American Association of Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the ICOM-US. Among his many awards, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Commission for the Preservation of the White House in 2002 and reappointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. In 2005, Bunch was named one of the 100 most influential museum professionals in the 20th century by the American Association of Museums and in 2009, Ebony Magazine named him one of its 150 most influential African Americans.  Again, in 2016 he was chosen as one of the 100 most significant African Americans by Ebony Magazine.  In 2011, BET (Black Entertainment Television) selected Bunch to receive its BET Honors for outstanding service to American education.  In 2014, BET selected Bunch as one of its ICON Men for his work mentoring young African American men.  In recent years, Bunch has been honored with: Visionary History Award, DC Historical Society (2016), Rainbow Push Torchbearer Award (2016), Delta Sigma Theta Remembering Our Heritage Award (2016), and National Newspaper Publishers Association Torch Award (2016).  In 2016, Bunch was listed as #1 in the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 ratings and in Vanity Fair’s Hall of Fame.

For additional information and the latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at http://www.naacpimageawards.net.

Check out the National Museum of African American History and Culture: A Souvenir Book

While I'm sure many of us have future plans to go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, our very busy lives and or finances could delay or stop that trip entirely. That doesn't mean that we can't get a look at the museum in the meantime through it's souvenir book.

SYNOPSIS: National Museum of African American History and Culture: A Souvenir Book

This souvenir book showcases some of the most influential and important treasures of the National Museum of African American History and Culture's collections. These include a hymn book owned by Harriet Tubman; ankle shackles used to restrain enslaved people on ships during the Middle Passage; a dress that Rosa Parks was making shortly before she was arrested; a vintage, open-cockpit Tuskegee Airmen trainer plane; Muhammad Ali's headgear; an 1835 Bill of Sale enslaving a young girl named Polly; and Chuck Berry's Cadillac. These objects tell us the full story of African American history, of triumphs and tragedies and highs and lows. This book, like the museum it represents, uses artifacts of African American history and culture as a lens into what it means to be an American.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK

Clarence Thomas was not snubbed by the National Museum of African American History & Culture

By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

Many conservative websites have locked onto this narrative that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has somehow been snubbed by not being included at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Now according to these sites we should all be outraged by this and demand that Thomas be included in the museum. They would have everyone believe that Thomas was not included because of his conservative beliefs and that most black people simply don't like the man (Okay that last part is true, but not why he wasn't included). But there are a few things they fail to mention.

Clarence Thomas is not the first black Supreme Court Justice, that would be the legend, Thurgood Marshall. So other than making it to the bench what has Thomas done to deserve an exhibit at the museum? He is considered a mediocre jurist at best and it's big news when the man ask a question during a hearing. You don't get an exhibit for being a bump on a log.

What's also not mentioned is that Thurgood Marshall is in the museum but not as a Supreme Court justice but for his work in civil rights. The museum does not currently have an exhibit on the Supreme Court.

Linda St. Thomas, chief spokesperson for the Smithsonian Institution, made this statement about Thomas’ exclusion:

“There are many compelling personal stories about African-Americans who have become successful in various fields, and obviously, Associate Justice Thomas is one of them,” said spokeswoman Linda St.Thomas. “However, we cannot tell every story in our inaugural exhibitions.” There is no exhibit on the Supreme Court or the justice system, the museum notes.

The late Justice Thurgood Marshall was featured in the museum because of his work on landmark civil-rights cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, according to the museum.

So you see Thomas couldn't have been excluded from the museum as there is no exhibit for him to have been excluded from.

By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

Grand Opening Schedule for the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Here is the schedule for the weekend long grand opening celebration for the National Museum of African American History and Culture beginning September 23, 2016.

On September 6th at 9:00 a.m. EDT, additional Timed Entry Passes for Grand Opening Weekend Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, September 25th, will be made available. The Museum will also offer Timed Passes for extended hours Monday, September 26th through Sunday, October 2nd. Timed Passes for the months of November and December will also be released Tuesday. Learn more about the timed passes and purchase them here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes

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Grand Opening Schedule

Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration

Washington Monument Grounds

Friday, September 23, 2016, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 24, 2016, 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 25, 2016, 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Beginning Friday, September 23, 2016, on the Washington Monument grounds, the National Museum of African American History and Culture presents Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration. Conceived and presented in festival fashion, Freedom Sounds programming will include musical performances, spoken word, oral history activities and evening concerts. A drum circle, storytelling, and interactive workshops provide opportunities for families and large groups of the public to explore and celebrate the museum’s rich content and stories. This three-day music festival presents artists who represent the numerous cultural threads encompassing our shared African diasporic histories and traditions. Two tented stages will offer local, national and international performers, contributing to NMAAHC’s Grand Opening Weekend. The Freedom Sounds festival continues on Saturday and closes the Grand Opening Weekend on Sunday evening, September 25, 2016. Designed to accommodate the crowds anticipated; the festival is free and open to the public.

Dedication Ceremony

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Saturday, September 24, 2016

9:00 a.m. Gathering and Musical Prelude

10:00 a.m. Dedication Ceremony Begins

On Saturday, September 24, 2016, the public witnesses the outdoor Dedication Ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In the afternoon, the museum officially opens to the public. Tickets are not required for the public to view the outdoor Dedication Ceremony. Extensive large-screen viewing areas are well-positioned for crowds during the Dedication Ceremony.

Museum Opens to the Public

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Saturday, September 24, 2016, 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 25, 2016, 7:00 a.m. – Midnight

The Museum officially opens to the public at 2pm, following the Dedication Ceremony on Saturday, September 24, 2016. The museum will keep its doors open for extended hours Sunday, September 25, from 10 a.m. to Midnight.

Smithsonian to acknowledge Cosby allegations at new museum

The Smithsonian now plans to acknowledge the sexual-assault allegations against Bill Cosby at its new African-American history museum on the National Mall, which will display two items related to Cosby's career in television and standup comedy.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opens Sept. 24, will include the cover of a Cosby comedy album and a comic book from his pioneering TV drama "I Spy" as part of its exhibit on black entertainers and artists. Initially, the museum planned to include historical facts about the items without mentioning the allegations, drawing criticism from some Cosby accusers.

The museum's founding director, Lonnie Bunch, said in a statement Thursday that the display would address Cosby's alleged behavior, although he did not specify exactly how.

"Like all of history, our interpretation of Bill Cosby is a work in progress, something that will continue to evolve as new evidence and insights come to the fore," Bunch said. "Visitors will leave the exhibition knowing more about Mr. Cosby's impact on American entertainment, while recognizing that his legacy has been severely damaged by the recent accusations."

[SOURCE]

The Hartford Sponsors Smithsonian National Museum Of African American History And Culture

The Hartford announced its founding sponsorship of the Smithsonian’s newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, NMAAHC. The company made a $1 million contribution over five years to support the design and construction of the building, scheduled to open Sept. 24 in Washington D.C.

“The Hartford has been a part of American history for more than 200 years, growing, thriving and changing along with our nation,” said Susan Johnson, head of diversity and inclusion at The Hartford. “We are proud to be a founding sponsor of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and celebrate the important contributions of African Americans to the American Dream.”