National Museum of African American History and Culture
Coordinates: 38°53′28″N 77°01′57″W / 38.891°N 77.0326°W
| National Museum of African American History and Culture | |
|---|---|
 Location in Washington, D.C.
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| Established | December 19, 2003 |
| Location | Washington D.C., United States |
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum established in 2003. The museum's building is currently under construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The 108th United States Congress established the museum in 2003 through the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act (Public Law 108-184).[1][2] In 2005, the Smithsonian appointed Lonnie G. Bunch III to serve as the first director of the museum.[3]
In 2006, the Smithsonian's Board of Regents selected a 5 acres (2.0 ha) site for the museum that is between the grounds of the Washington Monument and the National Museum of American History. The boundaries of the site are Constitution Avenue on the north, Madison Drive on the south, 14th Street, NW, on the east, and 15th Street, NW, on the west.[4] Architect David Adjaye designed the building, which features a crown motif from Yoruban sculpture.[5]
The museum's groundbreaking ceremony took place on February 22, 2012.[6] United States President Barack Obama and museum director Bunch were among the speakers at the ceremony.[6] Actress Phylicia Rashād was the Master of Ceremonies for the event, which also featured poetry and music by Denyce Graves, Thomas Hampson and the Heritage Signature Chorale.[6]
The museum is scheduled to open in 2015.[4] Until then, the museum will occupy a gallery located on the second floor of the National Museum of American History.[7]
In 2007 the National Museum of African American History and Culture became the first major museum to open on the Web before completing a physical structure. The website includes the museum's first exhibit, mounted in New York City.[8] It is also designed to encourage collaboration between scholars and the public. The main feature of the web-based initiative is the Memory Book application, which allows individuals to contribute to the website via pictures, a story, or audio application, to spotlight unique experiences in African-American culture.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ "Public Law 108-184: National Museum of African American History and Culture Act". United States Government Printing Office. 2003-12-19. pp. 117 STAT. 2676-2683. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-108publ184/pdf/PLAW-108publ184.pdf. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
- ^ Pub.L. 108-184 §4(a)
- ^ "Lonnie G. Bunch: Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture". Newsdesk: Newsroom of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution. 2009-01-01. http://newsdesk.si.edu/about/bios/lonnie-g-bunch. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
- ^ a b "Museum Building Construction". Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Smithsonian Institution. 2012-02-14. http://nmaahc.si.edu/about/building. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
- ^ Taylor, Kate (2011-01-22). "The Thorny Path to a National Black Museum". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/us/23smithsonian.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
- ^ a b c Cohen, Patricia (2012-02-22). "Making Way for a Dream in the Nation's Capital". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/arts/design/groundbreaking-for-the-museum-of-african-american-history.html. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
- ^ "About Us". Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Smithsonian Institution. 2012-02-14. http://nmaahc.si.edu/about/. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
- ^ Cotter, Holland (2007-05-11). "The Glittering A-List of Black History". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/arts/design/11mott.html?ex=1179806400&en=93784b1947af03e4&ei=5070&emc=eta1. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
- ^ "IBM and Smithsonian Open the National Museum of African American History and Culture - Virtually". News room. IBM. 2007-09-26. http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/22379.wss. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
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