Washington D.C. African American Civil War Museum: Part 1

After the memorial, it was time to head across the street to the museum located at 1925 Vermont Ave. NW, in Washington, D.C. My friend Jena was lucky enough to accompany me. American flags greet you as you walk under the African American Civil War Museum arch.

As you follow the path leading to the museum, you see a glimpse of what is to come. Each banner has a different African American with a different role that contributed to the American Civil War. Soldiers and sailors were not the only one to participate. There were also musicians and pioneers too. 

As we walked inside, two ladies greeted us: an employee of the museum and a volunteer, and asked to sign the guest book. Dawn Chitty, the Education Director at the museum, has worked at the museum for the past two years. She was originally consulted as a curriculum specialist and then was hired on to help accomplish the museum's goals of integrating the African American Civil War soldier's story into school curriculum across the United States. To Chitty the museum meant something special to her. "There is different faucets that might not be in the history books," Chitty said. "For me and the museum, it is about searching for the truth and honoring everyone."

Angela Smith Nelson is currently getting her master's degree in history and has volunteered at the museum since September. "Past history is not fully understood and written about," Nelson comments. "It makes me proud to see the accomplishments. Without colored troops, the Union would not have won." 

Nelson is currently using the resources provided by the museum to trace her ancestry. Using the census from 1782, she has traced ancestry back on her mothers side and believes her great-great-great-great-great-grand father was a slave owner who fought for the Confederates. 

Angela Smith Nelson

After talking with them, we started to explore the museum and see what it had to offer. Although small, the museum was rich with history beginning before the Civil War and ending after Civil Rights. As you followed the walls, you also followed the historic timeline of events. Pictures, statues, books, clothing, and even a tomb stone filled the museum with memory. There were also many quotes on the walls and large banners hanging from the ceilings that tell the story of the war and the soldiers who fought in it.