Smithsonian African-American Museum Opens September 24.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 16: Tourist walk past the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture that is currently under construction July 16, 2015 in Washington, DC. The museum is located on the National Mall near the Washington Monument and is scheduled to be completed and dedicated in 2016.Ê
What a month it has already been, and it’s only the fourth day in.
According to the Associated Press, the Smithsonian Institution announced on Monday that the National Museum of African American History and Culture finally has an open date: September 24, 2016.
Linda St. Thomas, the chief spokeswoman at the Smithsonian, said that Barack Obama, the first African American president, will host the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the museum’s opening. There will be a weeklong celebration in order to inaugurate this historic moment, which include an outdoor festival and a period where the museum will stay open for 24 hours.
The museum curated a collection large enough for 11 exhibits that will chronicle the African American experience, which will include installations of slavery, segregation, civil rights, and African Americans’ achievements in the arts, entertainment, sports, military, and other aspects of the wider culture.
There will also be artifacts displayed which will be loaned from other museums and institutions including the 13th amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation which were both signed by President Abraham Lincoln.
(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)