Washington D.C. African American Civil War Museum: Part 2

After visiting the museum, I wanted to dig deeper into how it works, its goals, efforts, and past and future plans. To do this, I conducted an interview with the curator which can be found on the following post. I also began researching the museum itself and other African American Museums. 

The idea of opening an African American museum, including the African American Civil War Museum, has encountered problems. Many of the more than 100 African American museums dedicated to history and culture of African Americans have fought for the right to become into being.  A prime example is the National African-American Museum. 

Tom Mack, who formed the National Council of Education and Economic Development brought the idea of a National Museum in large scale in the 1980s. "Like many Black people, Mack though that the absence of such a museum represented a tremendous over site. He felt it was symbolic of the nation's profound and officially sanctioned ignorance of the African-American contribution to U.S. history and culture" (Ruffins). 

In 1986, a non-binding House Resolution was passed making the idea real. However, the museum needed to be more. Mack, with the help of others, started to vocalize the need for the museum, although some influential African Americans were against the idea. While informing the public about the efforts, Mack soon learned about the AAMA, African American Museums Association. 

Once the AAMA was brought into the controversy, many people both black and white, took sides for and against the museum. Some believed the funds would be more beneficial somewhere else. Soon, committees were formed and the arguing began. Many of the discussions throughout the committee meeting involved questions regarding funding, artifacts, if a museum was even needed, separation versus segregation, and the idea of slavery and whether or not to memorialize it or not. The topic of slavery was one of the most important arguments during the discussion and correlations such as the Holocaust were brought up (Ruffins).

After many years, key players faded in and out of the museum controversy and by 1994, the idea of a National Museum lost its momentum. However, others have picked up idea and a planned National Museum is set for 2015. For more information about this museum, visit the website. This is just one example of a museum, like the Civil War Museum, who fought for stories and memories of African American to be told.

After learning about other museum, I began researching the African American Civil War museum to learn the ways it was telling African American stories. I found a review written in 2012 by Gene Seymour and published in American History, volume 47, issue 5. In his review of the African American Civil War Museum in Washington DC, Seymour first explains where the museum is and then goes into the why. The museum’s objective is “to place the Civil War in the foreground of African-American history”. Slavery is seen throughout the museum along with other information not well known to the American public. Interactive displays along with artifacts, give visitors the opportunity to dive deeper into the unknown of African Americans in the Civil War (Seymour, American History).

Seymour gives a very brief but helpful summary of what visitors can find at the museum in Washington. What his review lacks however are the many efforts the museum is taking to commemorate African Americans and the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. 

Hari Jones, curator of the museum said, "the monument and museum are the first real organized effort in the United States to tell the story accurately in the last one hundred years." Just looking at the website, you can see the benefits of the museum, the stories it has already told, and the plans it has for the future. 

In addition to the memorial, the museum opened in the first building in January, 1999. Each year, more than 200,000 visitors visit both the museum and the memorial each year. Due to the high demand of visitors and the need to expand, the museum moved closer to the monument in April, 2011 (afroamcivilwar.org).

As mentioned before, the museum's purpose is to tell the stories of the African American who fought for their freedom. Soldiers in the United States Colored Troops and others involved in the war are just as much a part of history as anyone else.  The museum tells these vitally important stories in many ways. 

One of the ways the museum does this is by the use of their traveling exhibit. This exhibit specifically talked about the story of "A Glorious March to Liberty." With eight panels, the exhibit uses articles, personal letters, diary entries, and more to tell the story (afroamciviwar.org). 

Panels two through eight consist of the following: "the second panel is entitled “Slavery and the Union,” and it examines slavery as a divisive issue leading up to the Civil War. The third panel “Spies of the Rebellion” identifies an African American organization that provided spies for the Union from the beginning of the war. “Union Cry for Help,” panel four, examines the military situation that led to the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the creation of the Bureau of United States Colored Troops. The fifth and sixth panels are entitled “Soldiers and Sailors,” and they share the story of these American freedom fighters in their own words and as reported in Harpers Weekly. The seventh panel “Liberators and Defenders” chronicles the successes of these freedom fighters as defenders of the US Constitution liberating enslaved Americans by enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation. The last panel examines these 'Freedom Fighters’ Legacy'" (afroamcivilwar.org). 

Along with the panels, the exhibit includes three books with all of the names of the soldiers on the Wall of Honor. It also includes a DVD about the museum and memorial and of course, a member from the museum will come speak at the event.

afroamcivilwar.org

One of the most important goals of the museum is education, to share the stories of the soldiers. The museum offers field trips to schools and other groups, seminars and workshops for teachers and hopes to one day, be able to supply materials for school curriculum across the country. Schools have the opportunity to allow children in certain age groups learn different things. For example, grades kindergarten through third grade can enjoy story hour which "explores the Glorious March to Liberty: Civil War to Civil Rights through children’s literature and an accompanying arts integrated activity" (afroamcivilwar.org). 

Jones also would like to get each state involved in the history by featuring each state and the events that occured in that state during the war. 

afroamcivilwar.org

Another way the museum tells the story of the soldiers is by connecting you with them. By tracing your ancestry back to the Civil War, receive the chance and tools necessary to begin genealogy research. The museum has many resources along with the experience to do this, and Angela Smith Nelson, the volunteer at the museum is taking advantage of this right now. 

Along with the museum's regular programs and tours, it also has a great opportunity to collaborate with the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and the museum is doing just that. With events that started last year, the museum holds different lectures, seminars, tours and more to tie in the 150th anniversary and accomplish their goal by telling the soldiers stories. Past events included Watch Night and Flag Day. Future events can been seen on the calendar below.