Tag Archives: National Mall

NMAAHC Brings “Treasures” to Dallas for Juneteenth

06/10/2011 Nativegrl77

National Museum of
African American History and Culture
Brings “Treasures” to Dallas for Juneteenth

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates Juneteenth with a two-day program to help Dallas/Ft. Worth-area residents identify and preserve items of historical and cultural significance tucked away in the attics, closets and basements of their homes. Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Public Library, the event will feature presentations, hands-on activities and preservation tips.

The program will take place Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, June 19, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young Street in Dallas. It will feature welcoming remarks by Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the museum, and Dallas Public Library interim director Corinne Hill. Free and open to the public, the event is the ninth in a series from the museum’s signature program “Save Our African American Treasures: A National Collections Initiative of Discovery and Preservation.” All are welcome.

Mary Ballard, senior textile conservator at the
Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute,
inspects an artifact during a “Treasures” event.

Participants can reserve in advance to bring up to three personal items for a 20-minute, one-on-one professional consultation with experts on how to care for them. The specialists will serve as reviewers, not appraisers, and will not determine items’ monetary values. Objects such as books, paper and textiles no larger than a shopping bag (furniture, carpets, firearms and paintings are excluded) can be reviewed. Those wishing to have items reviewed must make reservations by emailing treasures@si.edu or by calling toll free (877) 733-9599. Reservations are only required for those wishing a one-on-one consultation. Additional information is available at nmaahc.si.edu.

“We are extremely proud to bring ‘Save our African American Treasures’ to Dallas during Juneteenth weekend,” said Bunch. “We encourage people to become aware of what they have, to protect it and to preserve it so the story of African Americans in this country can be told. Nineteenth and 20th-century objects — family photographs, military uniforms, farm tools and wedding dresses — can help tell this story for future generations; if we do not act now to preserve these items, the tangible evidence of a critical component of American history will be lost.”

A participant from “Treasures” Atlanta meets with
senior objects conservator, Carol Grissom of the
Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute.
“We are so honored that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is bringing this outstanding program to the Dallas Public Library,” said Hill.

The “Treasures” program also includes the following activities throughout the day:

Marion Butts: A Lens on Dallas: Carol Roark, the Dallas Public Library’s manager of special collections, discusses its collection of photographs taken by one of the most important and prolific documentarians of African American life in the city.
Preservation Presentations: Informal basic preservation sessions will take place during the day. The sessions will provide information on preserving clothing and textiles, family photographs and papers, and digital memories. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Hands-on Preservation: In this hands-on activity, participants are invited to learn how to properly store letters, pack garments and prepare photographs for preservation storage and presentation.

On Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m., participants can meet 94.5 KSoul’s Kelli Simms.

Elaine Nichols, supervisory curator of culture at the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American
History and Culture, meets with 99 year old
Amelia Boynton Robinson during “Treasures” Atlanta.

“Save our African American Treasures” is made possible with support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grants also support the pre-design and construction of the museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., scheduled to open in 2015.

As a companion to the series, the museum has produced African American Treasures: A Preservation Guide, a 30-page guidebook that is distributed free to attendees to highlight the importance of proper preservation techniques. The guidebook is part of the “Treasures” kit. Also distributed will be white cotton gloves, archival tissue papers and archival documents sleeves to help people keep their personal treasures safe.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established in 2003 by an Act of Congress, making it the 19th Smithsonian Institution museum. Scheduled for completion in 2015, it will be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on a five-acre tract adjacent to the Washington Monument. Currently, during the pre-building phase, the museum is producing publications, hosting public programs and assembling collections. It is presenting exhibitions at other museums across the country and at its own gallery at the National Museum of American History. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

For information on the many free programs and services available at the Dallas Public Library, visit www.dallaslibrary.org. The Dallas Public Library operates the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 26 branch locations, Bookmarks in NorthPark Center and two bookmobiles. A library card is free for any Dallas resident.

~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Let’s make history

12/02/2010 Nativegrl77

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Amid a sea of signs proclaiming, “I am a man,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. joined Memphis sanitation workers on strike. Just one week after this photo was taken, Dr. King was murdered.

Despite this tragic loss, men and women of all colors pushed forward and continued to fight for freedom and equality. More than 40 years after King’s assassination, Americans elected the first African American president, achieving a historic and cultural milestone that was centuries in the making.

You have an opportunity to make history, too, by joining me in building a lasting tribute to the story of African Americans past and present. The Smithsonian Institution is building a new National Museum of African American History and Culture to celebrate and honor those brave men and women who survived slavery, who endured extreme racism and violence and who pioneered the arts, sciences, music and sports.

We need Americans like you who have the courage and vision to help make this Museum something we can all be proud of. Congress is providing one-half of the funds to build this new Smithsonian Museum. We must raise another $250 million to meet our total goal of $500 million from individuals like you who understand that the story of African Americans is the story of America.

Your gift today of $25, $50 or whatever you can afford will help ensure that these stories from individuals to collective movements of the past and present are recorded and preserved for all time and for all the citizens of our great nation.

By studying and understanding the struggles and successes of African Americans through the decades, all Americans can explore the shifting definitions of American citizenship, liberty and equality.

Ultimately, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will be a place that reminds us of what we were, what challenges we still face and that guides us towards what we can become. Let us build it together.

Thank you for being our partner in building this great Museum.

Sincerely,

Adrienne Brooks
Director of Development
National Museum of African American History and Culture

P.S. If you haven’t joined as an NMAAHC Charter Member, please click here to join today!

~ Culture & History

NMAAHC Brings “Treasures” to the Detroit Nov. 20

11/18/2010 Nativegrl77

National Museum of
African American History and Culture
Brings “Treasures” to Detroit Nov. 20

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will co-host a daylong program to help Detroit-area residents identify and preserve items of historical and cultural significance tucked away in the attics, closets and basements of their homes. Presented in collaboration with the Detroit Public Library, the event will feature presentations, hands-on activities and preservation tips.

The program will take place Saturday, Nov., 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the main branch of the library, 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, and will feature welcoming remarks by Rex M. Ellis, the museum’s associate director for curatorial affairs and Jo Anne G. Mondowney, executive director of the library. Free and open to the public, the event is the eighth in a series from the museum’s signature program “Save Our African American Treasures: A National Collections Initiative of Discovery and Preservation.”

Mary Ballard, senior textile conservator at the
Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute,
inspects an artifact during a “Treasures” event.

Participants can reserve in advance to bring up to three personal items for a 20-minute, one-on-one professional consultation with experts on how to care for them. The specialists will serve as reviewers, not appraisers, and will not determine an item’s monetary value. Objects such as books, paper and textiles no larger than a shopping bag (furniture, carpets, firearms and paintings are excluded) can be reviewed. Those wishing to have items reviewed must make reservations by e-mailing treasures@si.edu or by calling toll free (877) 733-9599. Reservations are not required for those not wishing a one-on-one consultation. Additional information is available at nmaahc.si.edu.

“We are extremely proud to bring ‘Save our African American Treasures’ to Detroit,” said Lonnie G. Bunch, founding director of the museum. “We encourage people to become aware of what they have, to protect it and to preserve it so the story of African Americans in this country can be told. Nineteenth- and 20th-century objects — family photographs, military uniforms, farm tools and wedding dresses — can help tell this story for future generations; if we do not act now to preserve these items, the tangible evidence of a critical component of American history will be lost.”

A participant meets with senior objects conservator in Atlanta.

A participant from “Treasures” Atlanta meets with
senior objects conservator, Carol Grissom of the
Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute.

“We are excited and pleased to provide Detroit area residents the opportunity to discover, preserve and celebrate their personal histories,” said Jo Anne G. Mondowney, executive director of the Detroit Public Library. Their participation in this worthwhile event will have a lasting and loving impact on generations yet unborn.”

As a key stop on the Underground Railroad, a major destination in the Great Migration, the city where the Motown sound was born and Rosa Parks called home, Detroit’s significance to the history of African Americans can not be overlooked. It is the artifacts of this rich history that “Treasures” seeks to preserve.

The “Treasures” program also includes the following sessions:

Preservation Presentations: Informal basic preservation sessions will take place during the day. The first session will provide information about the treasures in Detroit Public Library’s special collections. During the following session participants can learn about how to preserve textiles and how the National Museum of African American History and Culture will use textiles to tell stories in the new museum. The final two sessions of the day will be dedicated to the preservation of paper and digital photographs.

Hands-on Preservation: In this hands-on activity, participants are invited to learn how to properly store letters, pack garments and prepare photographs for preservation storage and presentation.

Oral Histories: Participants may record a brief personal memory, a family story or a memory of a historical event. Family members are encouraged to interview each other.

Also on hand at the event will be on-air personalities from Mix 93 FM who will give out door prizes and conduct call-ins to the station.

Future events will be held in Jackson, Miss. and New York City. Save our African American Treasures was made possible with support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grants also support the pre-design and construction of the museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., scheduled to open in 2015.

As a companion to the series, the museum has produced African American Treasures: A Preservation Guide, a 30-page guidebook that is distributed free to attendees and to individuals, community groups and educators to highlight the importance of proper preservation techniques. The guidebook is part of the “Treasures” kit. Also distributed will be white cotton gloves, archival tissue papers and archival documents sleeves to help people keep their personal treasures safe.

~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

NMAAHC -Need to remind you of three things …a message from Adrienne C. Brooks

11/16/2010 Nativegrl77

I can’t begin to thank you enough for your past support of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Getting involved so early with something of this magnitude requires faith and vision, and everyone at the Museum truly appreciates your support and engagement with this historic endeavor.

As with any major undertaking, the first steps are always the most important. Building on the National Mall in Washington DC requires fine attention to detail. Our goal is to create a place worthy of the Museum’s mission and its prominent location on the National Mall – adjacent to the Washington Monument and near the White House.

As you read these words, our award-winning architectural team is working to design this signature new museum; our curators are creating state-of-the-art exhibitions that reflect the rich history and culture of the African American community; and our educators are developing innovative educational curricula and public programs.

Of course, you do not have to wait until the Museum opens in 2015 to experience what we will offer. You can see it now! We have programs and exhibitions currently underway — and as a Museum supporter you are already receiving special, early notices and invitations via email. That is just one of the benefits of your helping us raise the funds we need to build this much-anticipated Museum. Your special “insiders” look is one way we have of showing you just how much we appreciate your support.

As the end of the year approaches, I wanted to remind you of three things:

The overarching mission of the Museum is to use African American history and culture as a lens into what it means to be an American and that the African American experience is interwoven with, not separate from, the American experience. Together they create one, powerful American story.
The Museum will cost $500 million, half of which, $250 million, we must raise from Americans, like you, from around the nation.
The end of the year is the perfect time to make a tax-deductible gift to the Museum.

There are many good reasons to support the Museum: the powerful history and culture that will be on exhibit; the opportunity to add your name to something that will inspire and educate future generations; and the presentation 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, thanks to supporters like you. The bottom line is that we need your steadfast support and are very grateful to receive it.

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,

Adrienne C. Brooks
Director of Development

P.S. I just want to underscore 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 of the law.

~ my 2cents ...

Monday mashup …&some News

11/01/2010 Nativegrl77

Okay …errors in timing …The NV rally will hopefully be aired today … tune in. I am so use to it being on East Coast time …sorry. Cannot wait to hear her speak and gotv for Harry Reid.

The weather continues to let us all know on various levels that fall and winter have moved in whether you like it or not …some like the change in seasons some prefer 365 days of sun while others … 38 out of 39 counties vote by mail in Washington

My rant …. I have had an issue with “the Media ” for quite sometime because they seem to leave out important pieces of stories and especially around election time people need to listen closely as the manipulation of language begins as soon as they announce one by one that it’s Political Season …campaigning whatever. What the Media does not tell you unless someone actually corrects on inserts it is that likely voter and registered voter are definitely two different beasts so to speak. The Democratic Party has more registered voters who happen to vote in great numbers during the Presidential elections and not so much during the mid-terms. I know Dems will lose seats but to be honest the current rhetoric coming from the right confirms for me at least that the tea party will only last for about a minute because they have no intention of trying to make life better for Americans, cooperate or compromise and most Americans have said they want progress; we won’t be getting that from the Republicans so they will be voted out again shortly. I do not put much validity in TV polls this year if at all and we all need to be more aware that the conservative right is working that “likely voter” thing until it scares folks or folks resign to the tidal wave coming that the right of center media wants us all to believe. The tidal wave that cableheads seem to enjoy telling the viewer may not be as bad as they project. It is important to know that people who use high tech phones, who have no phones or access to a computer and live in rural communities have not really been a part of the poll numbers as much as online and or landline calls so the numbers used are somewhat skewed. In one case, i had to laugh when the number of people polled for one race was 457 …, which seems odd and useless to me. I get it, “the media” needs to scare folks and they do just like the candidates from the tea party group and believe me the thought that anyone with any sense would vote for Angle, O’Donnell, Rand Paul or any of the more extreme candidates absolutely makes no sense. I get being angry but voting against your own best interest is an act and a vote folks will definitely regret. If you were upset over the gridlock before be ready because it will continue based on the facts they will not just vote NO they have waged war against the Obama Administration. I believe we will see the Veto wand waved around a lot by President Obama when the new Session begins which is hardly what the American people need or want. If you watched the 10-30-10 rally, you saw regular Americans contrary to some young conservatives telling Congress if they were watching that they want people to cooperate and compromise which is what Americans want. Americans were on the National Mall and over 4 million of us were online that day, so listen up Boehner, DeMint, Cantor we have spoken and will not tolerate the stalling, blocking or scaling down of legislation that could have gotten our Government back on track sooner. We all need to tell Mitch McConnell Americans do not agree with his main goal, he should be concentrating on jobs jobs jobs and the economy, and last week he told Americans outright that his sole goal is to get rid of President Obama. Is anyone right of center who thinks Republicans will be better understand that the war between McConnell, Cantor, Boehner and the rest includes throwing the rest of us under the bus. Americans are watching how Republicans will behave in Congress this time and will vote them out just as fast if the cooperation needed to get America back on track fails in this new Congressional Session. The Democratic Party has more registered voters and all it would take to shut everyone up is to VOTE on Tuesday before the polls close and make your voice count -keep the unqualified folks out of positions of power … and I gotta say Marco Rubio is just one of the worst candidates -below is a list of unqualified candidates that might vote more than likely against us.

Rand Paul

Marco Rubio

Sharron Angle

Christine O’Donnell

Pat Toomey

Farina

Meg Whitman

Ken Buck

Carl paladino

Tancredo

Ron Johnson