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National Museum of African American History & Juneteenth
On Friday, June 4th at 2:00pm, join U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Juneteenth RI Committee, and the Smithsonian Institute for a special virtual tour of The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The tour includes a talk on the historical significance of Juneteenth, past to present.
Learn about Rhode Island’s upcoming Juneteenth celebration and ways that you can engage with NMAAHC, both virtually and in person.
This event honors Juneteenth with U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Juneteenth RI, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History.
Register, here:
Rhode Island connections:
If you search under the words “Rhode Island” on the Museum site, you will find a few items donated by people from Rhode Island. Here is one from the Rhody Brush Company. It is called “Mammy”.
A Rhody Brush Company “Mammy” clothes brush with red blouse and a skirt dotted with red polka dots. The long-bristled palm brush has a handle in the doll-like form of a “Mammy.” The handle is painted wood, carved to resemble the head and torso of a woman and the bristle brush forms her skirt. The figure’s head is painted black with white eyes, a white nose, and a wide red mouth. Her hat is painted red. The figure is armless but has a painted on red blouse with five (5) circular white buttons and a white scalloped collar. Tied around the neck of the figure is a yellow bow. Natural bristles are attached through numerous holes in the bottom of the body. The bristle skirt is dotted with red polka dots.
Statement
Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
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Michael Jordan & NIKE funds and works with Museum
The National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as Morehouse College, and The Ida B. Wells Society will receive the Jordan Brand’s (NKE) latest Black Community Commitment Grants. According to Nike, the grants will help to address systemic racism and increase education and awareness of the Black experience for all people.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture will receive $3 million. In addition, Micheal Jordan himself will work with the museum to expand its Talking About Race web portal, which provides tools and guidance to empower and inspire conversation around race, and its Let’s Talk speaker series. According to Nike, the series aims to provide professional educators with strategies and techniques to support discussions on subjects such as memory, slavery, race/racism, and history in the classroom.
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About the National Museum of African American History:
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts and nearly 100,000 individuals have become members. The Museum opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
There are four pillars upon which the NMAAHC stands:
- It provides an opportunity for those who are interested in African American culture to explore and revel in this history through interactive exhibitions
- It helps all Americans see how their stories, their histories, and their cultures are shaped and informed by global influences
- It explores what it means to be an American and share how American values like resiliency, optimism, and spirituality are reflected in African American history and culture
- It serves as a place of collaboration that reaches beyond Washington, D.C. to engage new audiences and to work with the myriad of museums and educational institutions that have explored and preserved this important history well before this museum was created.
The NMAAHC is a public institution open to all, where anyone is welcome to participate, collaborate, and learn more about African American history and culture. In the words of Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of the Museum, “there are few things as powerful and as important as a people, as a nation that is steeped in its history.”
Connect with the museum, here: