National Museum of African American History and Culture

At a ceremony led by President Barack Obama, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in September 2016 as a monument and celebration of African America. Designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye and constructed out of recycled aluminum panels, the museum recreates the three-tiered structure of a crown. Exhibitions begin underground in the basement and work their way up into the light, mirroring strength and hope rising out of struggle. The museum provides an extensive look at many aspects of African American history from the slave trade and segregation to Obama’s election and the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as multimedia displays that feature African Americans in sports and the arts. Throughout each of these compelling exhibits are 35,000 artifacts that speak to resiliency, such as a railroad car that carried slaves, the dress that Rosa Park wore when she protested moving to the back of the bus in 1955, Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and an Obama campaign office that was dismantled and rebuilt inside the museum. The building also holds a Contemplation Room, a quiet space where visitors can digest the powerful history in the exhibitions.