Tag Archives: National Museum of American History

A Beautiful Mix — Art & History …NMAAHC


The feature picture is called “The Faces of My People” by Margaret Burroughs b.1917 and made of woodcut on paper.
National Museum of American History  
 
The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey — Where Art and History Intersect 

Organized by the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for the Arts and Education
NMAAHC Gallery, National Museum of American History

Throughout their over 40-year marriage, collectors Bernard and Shirley Kinsey have celebrated their heritage by seeking unusual souvenirs. From an early version of the Emancipation Proclamation to correspondence between Malcolm X and Alex Haley, the couple has amassed a trove of rare artifacts and artwork that spans four centuries and embodies the hardships and triumphs of the African American experience. Originally housed in a wine cellar in the Kinsey’s Los Angeles home, items from their private collection form The Kinsey Collection. 

 

The feature picture is called “The Faces of My People” by Margaret Burroughs b.1917 and made of woodcut on paper.

The Faces of My People
Margaret Burroughs (b. 1917)
Woodcut on paper

Over 100 artifacts, documents, and artwork spanning some 400 years of history will be on display in NMAAHC’s exhibition The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey — Where Art and History Intersect. Select items from the extraordinary collection of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, originally housed in their Los Angeles home, will illustrate the hardships and triumphs of the African American experience.

Organized by the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for the Arts and Education. The exhibition will honor the lives of famous African Americans such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as those whose history is not as well known. The Kinsey Collection will use objects including slave shackles, photographs, and written documents from the periods of slavery through the Civil Rights movement.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

life saving … Igor Volsky


More than a year ago, the Violence Against Women Act expired. The bill still hasn’t been reauthorized because House Republicans are insisting on an exclusive VAWA—one that offers no protections for LGBT, Native American, and undocumented victims of domestic violence.

Sign our petition asking House Republicans to stop delaying the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

With days ticking down before the legislative session ends, there’s been no movement on making sure that important protections for all victims of domestic violence are reauthorized. Republican leadership has not put the inclusive version of the bill, which passed the Senate with resounding support, up for a vote.

VAWA has been reauthorized three times with no trouble. And every year of reauthorization, Congress has made a stronger, more inclusive bill. This year should be no different. Don’t let the conservative Republican agenda stop the progress of a bill that can make the difference between life and death.

Please, tell House Republicans to pass VAWA—right now.

Thanks,

Igor Volsky
Deputy Editor, ThinkProgress

NMAAHC


  • NMAAHC -- National Museum of African American History and Culture
Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
and the March on Washington, 1963

March on Washington, 1963
March on Washington participants. Aug. 28, 1963.
Library of Congress

Opens December 14, 2012
NMAAHC Gallery at American History, second floor east

On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. began his speech by declaring, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity … In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check.”

In 2013 the country will commemorate two events that changed the course of the nation — the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington. Standing as milestone moments in the grand sweep of American history, these achievements were the culmination of decades of struggles by individuals — both famous and unknown — who believed in the American promise that this nation was dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal.” Separated by 100 years, they are linked together in a larger story of freedom and the American experience.

To commemorate these two pivotal achievements, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in collaboration with the National Museum of American History (NMAH) will present an exhibition, featuring historic photographs, paintings, new film footage and objects, that explores the historical context of these two crucial events, their accomplishments and limitations, and their impact on the generations that followed.

The exhibition will be on view from Dec. 14, 2012 through Sept. 15, 2013 in NMAAHC’s temporary gallery on level two at American History, 14th St NW and Constitution Ave NW. Metro: Smithsonian or Federal Triangle.

For more information, visit www.nmaahc.si.edu.

Lonnie G. Bunch at The NMAAHC


NMAAHC -- National Museum of African American History and Culture

eNews from the National Museum of African American History and Culture Fall 2012

Changing America:

The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963

In 2013, the anniversaries of two key American milestones will be celebrated in a new exhibition,Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963, presented jointly by the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and the National Museum of American History (NMAH).
Read more >>

feature image October 2012
Director Lonnie Bunch

A Message from the Director

2012 marks the seventh anniversary of my return to the Smithsonian Institution as founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). When I started in 2005, the site where the building would be located was not known and there were no collections or funds. Today, I am glad to report that construction has started on the building, which will be located at 14th and Constitution Avenue NW and we have collected more than 18,400 objects and approximately $100 million in donations toward our total goal of $500 million, of which $250 million must be raised from private resources.
Read more >>

Pullman Railroad Car

From the NMAAHC Collections:

Jim Crow Era Pullman Railroad Car

One of the signature artifacts of the National Museum of African American History and Culture is a classic Pullman-built railroad car that once traveled the rails for the Southern Railway.
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Construction Update

Construction Update

Since the groundbreaking ceremony on February 22, construction of our building on the National Mall has begun and is moving forward. The building’s site is popular with residents and visitors who stop by to view the progress of the 19th museum in the Smithsonian family.
Read more >>

First Grade Class

First-Grade Class Contributes to NMAAHC

Twenty first-grade students from Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet School in Hamilton Park, Texas, learned about philanthropy, math, and museums as they collected $175 in dimes during Black History Month 2012.
Read more >>

Your vision propels us forward! a message from NMAAMC


It is a tremendous and rewarding challenge to build something the size and scope of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Your willingness to get involved in this historic project during these early stages is inspiring. It underscores your vision; your ability to see the entire scope of the plan, and the promise of things to come!

Equally important is the work your support makes possible. Just look for a moment at the Museum’s image above. You can see that you are helping to create a truly spectacular museum on the National Mall.

What will be featured inside will be equally exciting. A collection of exhibitions and treasures that will tell the entire, rich story of the African American experience and its role in our history. Simply put, the African American story is America’s story.

You can tell I am proud and excited about this Museum. I believe you share that pride and anticipation.

That is why I am asking for your financial support today. We cannot build this museum without your help.      http://go.si.edu/site/R?i=mhj_5OJO7nPU690Zcjf6EA..

The entire project will cost $500 million, with Congress providing half of that amount. The remaining $250 million must be raised via private resources and, most importantly, from individual contributions from men and women who, like you, share the greater vision of what this Museum will be when we open our doors in 2015.

There are many good reasons to support the Museum: the powerful history and culture that will be presented in exhibitions and public programs; the opportunity to be part of something that will inspire and educate future generations; and the telling of this important story in the grand tradition of a Smithsonian museum.

Whatever your reasons, we are honored by your commitment to the Museum. Our campaign to build the Museum continues to gain momentum. With the help of supporters like you we remain on schedule to break ground in 2012.

However, the bottom line is that we need your steadfast support now and are very grateful to receive it.   http://go.si.edu/site/R?i=mhj_5OJO7nPU690Zcjf6EA..

So, please, take a moment right now to make a contribution to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Again, thank you very much.

All the best,

Lonnie Bunch
Director
 

 
P.S. I just want to remind you of the great tax benefit your contribution to the Museum represents. Whatever amount you are able to generously contribute today is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by the law. $250 million is a tremendous goal. We truly need and are grateful for your support.