The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC is an astonishing and powerful testimony to this country’s heritage. Showcasing the trajectory of African American history from the centuries of enslavement through the period of legalized apartheid and Jim Crow laws, the exhibits also portray the ways that Black Americans from the US made communities, contributed to culture, and built political movements to advocate for justice.
There are two objects and a quote that resonated with me on my visit yesterday. The first is a tiny ring, dating to the 1830s. Enslaved people were prohibited from marrying each other, but some were able to hide their unions with rituals they held in secret. This brass ring was used by about 400 people who quickly took it on and shared it with another couple in marriage ceremonies conducted by the Reverend Alexander Glennie in South Carolina.
The second item is a tiny pair of iron shackles made for a child, highlighting the tragic practice of enslaving the most innocent and vulnerable on the Middle Passage to the Americas.
Although this post focuses on the era of slavery, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is about much more than that — one post here cannot do it justice. Everyone in this country would be enriched by a visit and if you can go, you should.
The last picture is a quote by writer and activist James Baldwin, whose writings on the force of history ought to be remembered by us all.
