USA Smithsonian African American History and Culture museum opening ceremony
Last updated on 2nd October 2016
A few days ago, I saw the entire ceremony video, National Museum of African American History and Culture Grand Opening Ceremony, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZMuu5fi4Ic, nearly 2 hours, published on Sept. 24th 2016. I found it to be an extraordinarily moving and mainly joyous ceremony related to the suffering, fortitude and courage of African Americans in their struggle to be treated as equal to whites in the USA, as well as their achievements and contributions to USA.
While I have heard the statements mentioned below or something similar earlier, I loved seeing a former USA president and white man (European American) from Southern USA (Texas), George W. Bush, say it: "A great Nation does not hide its history; it faces its flaws and corrects them. This museum tells the truth that a country founded on the promise of liberty held millions in chains. That the price of our union was America’s original sin."
Ravi: I believe slavery in the past in the USA is the "original sin" Bush is referring to. I think this museum is a testimony to the USA today, not hiding its history with respect to African-Americans and showing a willingness to face and correct its flaws, even if there seems to be quite some distance to cover before racial discrimination against African Americans, including alleged racial profiling against African-Americans by some USA police officers, is completely removed from USA society and country.
Former President George W. Bush signed the legislation in 2003 clearing the way for the museum to be built in the location (USA national mall) where it is now, close to the Washington monument and the Lincoln memorial. George Bush received a warm hug from USA First Lady Michelle Obama (pic shown below), which perhaps very eloquently captures the white-black harmony mood that prevailed at this momentous event for African-Americans (blacks).
[Please note that all the youtube video screenshot pics in this post can be viewed in larger resolution by mouse right-click on image, Open in new tab/window, followed by mouse-click on image in the new tab/window to zoom out to full size.]
Former USA first lady, Laura Bush, also spoke and shared how challenging the task was to the Director of the museum, Lonnie Bunch, and congratulated him on what he and his team had achieved. This was followed by a speech by former USA president George W. Bush (more on it later on in this post). The pic below is of US President Obama embracing President Bush after Bush's speech.
USA Congress Representative and iconic African-American civil rights veteran leader, John Lewis too spoke (more on it later). But I would like to highlight one sentence from John Lewis' speech that struck a deep chord in me, "That we are giving birth today to this museum is a testament to the dignity of the dispossessed in every corner of the globe who yearn for freedom."
This sentence too was striking from the veteran civil rights leader, "As these doors open, it is my hope that each and every person who visits this beautiful museum will walk away deeply inspired, filled with a greater respect for the dignity and the worth of every human being and a stronger commitment to the ideals of justice, equality and true democracy."
A few African-American celebrities (e.g. Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Stevie Wonder) as well as a few white American celebrities (e.g. Robert DeNiro) and other leaders including USA Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, either gave speeches or read poetry or prose, or sang (some of it is given later on in this post).
USA President Barrack Obama gave a speech (more on it later on in this post) and then along with members of four generations of an African American family (Bonner family), rung a historic bell to signal opening/dedication of the museum. Some standout sentences from his speech, for me, are: "We're not a burden on America, or a stain on America, or an object of pity or charity for America. We're America."
"The story told here doesn’t just belong to black Americans; it belongs to all Americans -- for the African-American experience has been shaped just as much by Europeans and Asians and Native Americans and Latinos. We have informed each other. We are polyglot, a stew."
The audience included former USA president Bill Clinton, vice-president Joe Biden, Speaker Paul Ryan, House of Representatives leader Nancy Pelosi, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Here's a pic shared by former USA president George W. Bush of him and former First Lady Laura Bush with the Bonner family after the event on Instagram,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKwlJdqgJGO/. Note that Bush requested Obama to take the pic!
The text (from George W. Bush) that accompanies the pic is given below in full:
Thanks for taking our photo with the Bonner family, Mr. President. A great Nation does not hide its history; it faces its flaws and corrects them. The @nmaahc tells the truth: that a country founded on the promise of liberty held millions in chains…that the price of our Union was America’s original sin. I was honored to sign the bill authorizing the construction of this national treasure. And I am pleased it now stands where it has always belonged: on the National Mall.
--- end George W. Bush text message with above Instagram pic ----
Here are a few articles on the opening ceremony:
a) Sometimes a hug is all it takes: Michelle embraces George W Bush as President Obama opens up the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History with a rousing call for unity, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3805455/The-Latest-New-museum-chronicling-black-history-opens.html, 24th Sept. 2016 has 34 photographs of the event. I enjoyed going through them and recommend to interested readers to do the same.
b) African American Museum opening: ‘This place is more than a building. It is a dream come true.’, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/09/24/african-american-museum-opening-a-historic-day-on-the-national-mall/, Sept. 24th 2016. A small extract from it: "Serving as home to more than 36,000 artifacts, the museum exists to both memorialize and educate, sharing the “unvarnished truth” of America’s past and celebrating the triumphs of its present." Towards the bottom of the article one has a photo link to 59 photographs of the event, which one can view in full screen. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing them and recommend it to interested readers.
The rest of this post has extracts of or full transcripts of speeches made at the event. It is longish and so readers who are not so interested in this topic and/or are busy, may want to either skim through it or skip it altogether.
The secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, David Skorton, said (as per transcript in the above mentioned youtube video; slightly edited) at 16 min 09 secs:
Thank you all for your tremendous support of the Smithsonian and the museum of the African American history and culture. Like all of the Smithsonian museums this one truly belongs to the American people.
A museum is many things but two elements are most important - the people who curate, preserve, interpret and share it's stories and the collection itself. The incredible passion for this museum becomes evident when you find out about its collections. The majority of its nearly 37,000 objects, 3,000 of which are currently on display, comes from individuals and families and memories passed down through generations and stored in cupboards and attics and display(ed) on coffee tables. The people that donated these personal momentos knew of their great power.
The items displayed within the walls of this museum - they revealed profound truths, poignant truths and the universal truth that the African-American story is indivisible from the American story. That story is often resilient, triumphant and inspiring but it is also tragic. The museum candidly confronts slavery and Jim Crow and (its) legacy that haunt(s) us to this day. Because of its honesty this museum will spark dialogue not just about our past but about our present. It will be an important part of the national conversation, helping us to more effectively face our racial issues and divisions and move forward somehow together.
This striking monument to African-American contributions and citizenship, this national museum of African-American history and culture will help us in our common cause of building a more perfect union. To quote Lincoln it will strive onto finish the work we are in (and) to bind up the nation's wounds. Congratulations to director Lonnie Bunch and to his staff for this remarkable, remarkable achievement and to the museum's council, the Smithsonian regents and all of the staff who helped make today possible. Thank you.
--- end transcript extract ---
Extract from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws:
Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Enacted after the Reconstruction period [Ravi: 1863-1877], these laws continued in force until 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities in states of the former Confederate States of America, starting in 1890 with a "separate but equal" status for African Americans. Facilities for African Americans were consistently inferior and underfunded compared to those available to European Americans; sometimes they did not exist at all. This body of law institutionalized a number of economic, educational, and social disadvantages. De jure segregation mainly applied to the Southern states, while Northern segregation was generally de facto—patterns of housing segregation enforced by private covenants, bank lending practices, and job discrimination, including discriminatory labor union practices.
Jim Crow laws—sometimes, as in Florida, part of state constitutions—mandated the segregation of public schools, public places, and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for whites and blacks. The U.S. military was also segregated, as were federal workplaces, initiated in 1913 under President Woodrow Wilson. By requiring candidates to submit photos, his administration practiced racial discrimination in hiring.
...
The phrase "Jim Crow Law" can be found as early as 1892 in the title of a New York Times article about voting laws in the South. The origin of the phrase "Jim Crow" has often been attributed to "Jump Jim Crow", a song-and-dance caricature of blacks performed by white actor Thomas D. Rice in blackface, which first surfaced in 1832 and was used to satirize Andrew Jackson's populist policies. As a result of Rice's fame, "Jim Crow" by 1838 had become a pejorative expression meaning "Negro". When southern legislatures passed laws of racial segregation directed against blacks at the end of the 19th century, these became known as Jim Crow laws.
--- end extracts from Jim Crow laws wiki ---
"The term Reconstruction Era, in the context of the history of the United States, has two senses: the first covers the complete history of the entire country from 1865 to 1877 following the Civil War; the second sense focuses on the transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877, as directed by Congress, with the reconstruction of state and society" - from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_Era.
USA Congress Representative John Lewis' speech starts at around 28:16 in the video. Lewis played a key role in taking up legislation for creation of this museum in the USA Congress. The article, ‘We did it': Read John Lewis’s emotional speech at the African American Museum opening, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/09/24/we-did-it-read-john-lewiss-emotional-speech-at-the-african-american-museum-opening/, has his full speech transcript.
Some extracts from Rep. John Lewis' speech are given below:
As long as there is a United States of America, now there will be a National Museum of African American History and Culture. This was a great achievement. I tell you, I feel like singing the song, the Mahalia Jackson song, from the March on Washington over 50 years ago: ‘How we got over; how we got over.’ There were some who said it couldn’t happen, who said, ‘you can’t do it.’ But we did it. We did it.
...
We are gathered here today to dedicate a building, but this place is more than a building. It is a dream come true.
You and I. Each and every one of us were caught up in a seed of light. We were a vision born in the minds of black Civil War veterans and their supporters. They met right here in Washington, D.C., in 1916., exactly 100 years ago at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, still in existence today. Oh say, oh say: See what a dream can do. Roll up the sleeves of those veterans or touch the rubble on their backs — you might find the wounds of shackles and whips. Most could not read the Declaration of Independence or write their own names. But in their hearts — burning, enduring vision of true democracy that no threat or death could ever erase.
They understood the meaning of their contribution. They set a possibility in motion, passing down through the ages from heart to heart and breath to breath. That we are giving birth today to this museum is a testament to the dignity of the dispossessed in every corner of the globe who yearn for freedom. It is a song to the scholars and scribes; scientists and teachers; to the revolutionaries, and the voices of protest; to the ministers in the office of peace. It is a story of life, the story of our lives, wrapped up in a beautiful golden crown of grace.
I can hear the distant voice of ancestors whispering by the night fire: ‘Steal away, steal away home, ain’t got long to stay here.’ A big bold choir shouting, ‘I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom.’ All of the voices roaming, for centuries, have finally found a home here in this great monument to our pain, our suffering, and our victory.
...
As these doors open, it is my hope that each and every person who visits this beautiful museum will walk away deeply inspired, filled with a greater respect for the dignity and the worth of every human being and a stronger commitment to the ideals of justice, equality and true democracy. Thank you.
--- end transcript extracts of USA Rep. John Lewis' speech ---
Former USA first lady, Laura Bush, speech transcript (from youtube video, slightly edited; speech starts at around 34:31) is given below:
I am thrilled to be here today. This is such a really terrific day. On December 16, 2003 president George W Bush authorized the legislation for the establishment of a new Smithsonian museum, the national museum of African-American history and culture. [Applause] When I toured the museum with Lonnie Bunch last week we reminisced about those beginning days of the museum. The legislation had been authorized, the site had been secured and Lonnie had been hired as the museum's director. I will never forget Lonnie's poignant words when we considered the historic and cultural significance of what was to become. Lonnie paused for dramatic effect or so I thought and then said what do we do now? Lonnie, look what you have done. [Mrs Bush points to the museum front at her back. Applause.] You and your team have truly achieved a monumental achievement. Congratulations. Our next speaker signed the legislation and assured the museum's place on the national mall. My husband, president George W Bush.
--- end Mrs. Laura Bush transcript ---
Former USA president George W. Bush starts his speech around 36:17 in the video. This speech transcript is available in the article, Read George W. Bush’s speech at the African American Museum, 13 years after signing the bill to build it, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/09/24/read-george-w-bushs-speech-at-the-african-american-museum-13-years-after-signing-the-bill-to-build-it/.
His entire speech is given below:
Thank you all. (To Laura.) Thank you, darling. (Laughter) Laura has been very much engaged in this museum for a long time. She sits on the board. And we’re honored to be here. My first reaction is I hope all of our fellow citizens come and look at this place. It is fabulous.
Mr. President and first lady, vice president, chief justice, [Smithsonian Secretary] David [Skorton], thank you very much. The board. I do want to give a shout out to [museum director] Lonnie [Bunch]. It’s really important to understand this project would not and could not have happened without his drive, his energy and his optimism.
As Laura mentioned, 15 years ago, members from both parties – Congressman John Lewis and Sam Brownback, then-senator from Kansas – informed me that they were about to introduce legislation creating a new museum to share the stories and celebrate the achievements of African Americans. You know, it would be fair to say that the Congress and I did not always see eye to eye. If you know what I mean, Mr. President. (Laughter) But this is one issue where we strongly agreed. I was honored to sign the bill authorizing the construction of this national treasure. And I’m pleased it now stands where it has always belonged, on the National Mall.
This museum is an important addition to our country for many reasons. Here are three. First, it shows our commitment to truth. A great nation does not hide its history. It faces its flaws and corrects them. This museum tells the truth that a country founded on the promise of liberty held millions in chains. That the price of our union was America’s original sin. [Ravi: I believe slavery in the past in the USA is the "original sin" Bush is referring to]
From the beginning, some spoke to truth. John Adams, who called slavery an ‘evil of colossal magnitude,’ their voices were not heeded, and often not heard. But they were always known to a power greater than any on earth, one who loves his children and meant them to be free. [Ravi: That seems to be a reference to the Divine power/God.]
Second, this museum shows America’s capacity to change. For centuries, slavery and segregation seemed permanent. Permanent parts of our national life. But not to Nat Turner or Frederick Douglass; Harriet Tubman; Rosa Parks; or Martin Luther King Jr. All answered cruelty with courage and hope.
In a society governed by the people, no wrong lasts forever. After struggle and sacrifice, the American people, acting through the most democratic of means, amended the constitution that originally treated slaves as three-fifths of a person, to guarantee equal protection of the laws. After a decade of struggle, civil rights acts and voting rights act were finally enacted. Even today, the journey toward justice is still not complete. But this museum will inspire us to go farther and get there faster.
And finally, the museum showcases the talent of some of our finest Americans. The galleries celebrate not only African American equality, but African American greatness. I cannot help but note that a huge influence in my teenage years is honored here, the great Chuck Berry. (Laughter) Or my baseball idol growing up in far West Texas, the great Willie Mays. And of course, something I never really mastered, the ability to give a good speech, but Thurgood Marshall sure could. And some of you may know I’m a fledgling painter, a struggling artist. (Laughter) I have a new appreciation for the artists whose brilliant works are displayed here, people like Robert Duncanson, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Charles Henry Alston.
Our country is better and more vibrant because of their contributions and the contributions of millions of African Americans. No telling of American history is neither complete nor accurate without acknowledging them.
The lesson in this museum is that all Americans share a past and a future by staying true to our principles, righting injustice, and encouraging the empowerment of all. We will be an even greater nation for generations to come. I congratulate all those who played a role in creating this wonderful museum. May God bless us all.”
--- end transcript of Bush speech ---
USA Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. who is also the chancellor of the Smithsonian institution spoke (from around 49:15). A large extract (most of his talk actually) from the youtube video transcript (slightly edited) is given below:
Supreme Court decisions such as Dred Scott versus Sanford, Plessy versus Ferguson and Brown versus Board of Education document shame and hope along the road to equal justice under law. This museum provide a place for us to learn what life was like for the brave individuals who brought those cases to the Supreme Court. You can see the tragedy of Dred and Harriet Scott in the 1840's (broadside?) offering cash for the return of fugitive slaves.
Dred Scott had traveled widely throughout the United States with his owner. He met and married Harriet in what is now Minnesota. They had two daughters. When his owner died he tried to purchase his and his family's freedom with money he had struggled his whole life to accumulate. But the owner's widow turned him down. Only then did he turn to the courts with the Supreme Court ruling that he and his family were not even persons under the constitution.
You can see the bravery of Homer Plessy against the backdrop of the Pullman railroad car on display. Homer Plessy was a fair skinned man of mixed racial ancestry. That's how he was able to purchase a ticket for the whites only first class compartment. But when the conductor came to collect his ticket Homer Plessey announced that under Louisiana law he was a black man. And he set in process the test case challenging Jim Crow laws - a test that the Supreme Court would fail.
And you can grasp the wrenching dilemma facing Oliver and Leola Brown in the photograph of five young African American women outside their segregated school. How do you balance a hope for a better life for your 11 year old daughter against real fear for her personal safety? But Oliver and Leola Brown were people of strong faith. He was an assistant pastor at his church. Together they made the choice to enroll Linda in the whites only school. And together they changed the world.
You can read the court's decision in Dred Scott versus Sanford and Plessy versus Ferguson and in Brown versus Board of Education and learn what the court held. But if you want to know what those cases were about you need to meet Dred and Harriett Scott, Plessy and Oliver and Leola Brown and you can do that in this new museum.
--- end transcript extract of John G. Roberts speech ---
Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith read out poetry and prose (and joked a little). Extracts from their readings (starts around 59:24 in the video):
[Oprah Winfrey:]
The story of the African American journey in their own words. This is what they said.
History despite it's wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.
Maya Angelou.
...
[Will Smith:]
Langston Hughes called the poem, Harlem.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags like a heavy load
Or does it explode?
[Oprah Winfrey:]
I have been in sorrow's kitchen, and I licked out all the pots
Then I stood on the peaky mountains wrapped in rainbows
With a harp and a sword in my hands
Sometimes, I feel discriminated against
But it does not make me angry.
It merely astonishes me.
How can anyone deny themselves the pleasure of my company?
It's beyond me.
So wrote Zora Neale Hurston, a writer in the Harlem Renaissance. We love Ms.Zora.
...
[Will Smith:]
What are the blues?
They are home grown black music that acknowledge the tenuous nature of all human existence.
An heroic response to what is called the human condition.
We invented the blues. Europeans invented psychoanalysis.
You invent what you need.
Albert Murray wrote that.
...
[Oprah Winfrey:]
Tony Morrison, the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature said this.
If there's a book you want to read but it hasn't been written yet then you must be the one to write it.
...
[Will Smith:]
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability. But it comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man cannot ride your back unless your back is bent.
So said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
--- end transcript extracts from Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith reading ---
The founding director of this African-American museum, Dr. Lonnie Bunch, then spoke (from around 67 min. 44 secs in the video). His speech transcript (slightly edited) is given below.
Today a dream too long deferred is a dream no longer. What a grand and glorious day to open a museum that will not just tell of a people's journey but also the nation's story. It's hard for me to believe that we are at this moment where we as a nation will finally fulfill the expectations and hopes of so many generations who believed and labored for a presence on the national mall that would help all Americans realize how much they have been shaped, informed and made better by the African-American experience.
We are here at this moment because of the commitment and support of so many of you here and thousands of others - corporations, individuals and foundations - who believe that the time had come for the creation of the national museum of African-American history and culture. The diversity of the funding that has supported this endeavor speaks volumes about the generosity and good will of America. We are so moved by the more than one hundred thousand people who have become members of the museum who show me their card and pay 25 dollars.
I got to tell you we are at this moment because of the backing of the United States Congress and the White House. I cannot thank president and Mrs. Obama and president and Mrs. Bush enough for all that you have done to bring this museum to fruition. It truly took an institution to build a national museum. We are indebted today to the Smithsonian Institution whose leadership from the regents through former secretaries Larry Small and Wayne Clough to the current secretary David Skorton, have never wavered in their support of this museum.A crucial component that brought us to this moment is the staff of the museum. Forgive the sports analogy but they are the dream team. They are better than the 61 Yankees and the 85 Bears. You honor them by your presence today because they are best.
But I have to tell you. The foundation, the bedrock of this museum has been the council, our board of trustees under the leadership of Dick Parsons and Linda Johnson Rice and Ken Chenault, they have guided all aspects of the museum's development. They helped to steady a shaky director and they used their (considerable) influence to ensure a successful campaign. I would like to ask the council to stand and be recognized. Without your effort there would not be a museum. Obviously others played a key role in this endeavor. The first was the presidential commission co-chaired by Robert Wright and Claudine Brown which established a blueprint for the museum. Also essential was the scholarly advisory committee that was chaired by the great John Hope Franklin who provided much of the intellectual guidance for the museum. [Ravi: For more see https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/leadership.]
And I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the architectural creativity that's behind us of the Freelon Adjaye Bond Smith collaboration. [Applause.] Thank you. This collaboration created by Max Bond benefited from Phil Freelon's leadership and the wonderful design of David Adjaye. So thank you all so much for what you have given us. And we are fortunate to have exhibits designed by (Rafael?) (Baum?) associates. But I want to thank all the amazing workers who, in the process of construction, soon realized that this was their building. This was their history as well.
And I need to take a personal moment and thank my family so I can go home [laughter]. They have lived with every moment of this job for more than a decade. My mother is here, thank you mom. My wife Maria and my daughters Katie and Sarah and (...) and the love of my life, my granddaughter, Harper Grace. Thank you all so much - means a lot to me.
Recently I was asked by a journalist, did we really believe we could create a museum that had been in the planning for more than a century? How could we not believe when we could dip into the reservoir that's African American history? We believed because the enslaved dreamed a world of freedom that once seemed impossible. We believed because Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer had faith in (an) America that did not believe in them. How could we not believe when hearing the words of Ida B Wells or Malcolm or Martin? We had to believe because of the audacity and the beauty of Jackie Robinson stealing home. And how could we not believe when hundreds of families in this country opened their houses, entrusted us with their artifacts and their stories. We believed because George W Bush said this museum must be on the national mall. Thank you. And we believed because a senator from Chicago told us yes, we can.
Today is bittersweet for me when I think about those who began the endeavor with us but are no longer here. We miss John Hope Franklin and ... and my dad. But whenever I look at the museum I don't simply see steel, glass and concrete. I feel the spirit, the hopes and the strengths of those who went before, and upon whose shoulders we stand. It is those memories that breathe life into this building. Because when I look at this museum I realize it is a clarion call to remember, to remember not just the well known, but also those famous only to their families whose lives in quiet ways shaped this nation. We remember so we can ponder the pain of slavery, segregation and second class citizenry. But we also find the resiliency (resilience), the faith, the hope, the joy that is so much a part of the African American community. We remember to draw sustenance, inspiration, courage from the people's commitment to help America, to challenge America to live up to it's stated ideals.
We remember, not out of nostalgia, but out of a country’s need especially today for the contextualization and contemporary clarity that comes from understanding an unvarnished history, And maybe just maybe that understanding can help America find a bit of healing and reconciliation. We remember so all who encounter the museum will understand American history through an African American lens and realize just how central African American history and culture is to America's sense of self. Eleven years ago we began this trek, full of trepidation and motivated by a desire to complete a journey that began a hundred years ago. So for eleven years we have dreamed, prayed and toiled for this day. But what kept us going was the way people stopped us on the street just to say, thank you.
Two months ago I was standing on the corner here just before sunrise because I wanted to see how the building would look. There was an elderly man standing on the corner. When I turned in his direction he was bent over sobbing. I asked if he was sick. And all he could say to me was that he was so proud that he lived long enough to see the birth of this museum. So on behalf of that man I thank you. I thank you because of your support for this museum. You have given two gifts. The first is a gift to America. Thanks to your commitment and belief we have guaranteed that as long as there is an America this museum will educate, engage and ensure a fuller story of our country will be told on the national mall. But you have also quite candidly given a gift to me. I am so honored and humbled to be part of the group of people that built this museum. Thanks to you I have had the time of my life.
Ultimately (in) this museum, we believe there's nothing more powerful than a people, than a nation steeped in its history. And there is nothing more noble than honoring all of our ancestors by remembering. So let me conclude by simply saying, welcome home.
--- end transcript of Lonnie Bunch speech ---
Pic below shows Lonnie Bunch being embraced by USA president Obama after Bunch's speech.
Pic below shows former USA president George W. Bush shaking Lonnie Bunch's hand after Bunch's speech.
USA President Obama spoke next (from around 1 hr 19 mins in the video)
The speech transcript is available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/09/24/remarks-president-dedication-national-museum-african-american-history. Given below is the entire speech transcript.
James Baldwin once wrote, “For while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard.” For while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard.
Today, as so many generations have before, we gather on our National Mall to tell an essential part of our American story -- one that has at times been overlooked -- we come not just for today, but for all time.
President and Mrs. Bush; President Clinton; Vice President and Dr. Biden; Chief Justice Roberts; Secretary Skorton; Reverend Butts; distinguished guests: Thank you. Thank you for your leadership in making sure this tale is told. We’re here in part because of you and because of all those Americans -- the Civil War vets, the Civil Rights foot soldiers, the champions of this effort on Capitol Hill -- who, for more than a century, kept the dream of this museum alive.
That includes our leaders in Congress -- Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi. It includes one of my heroes, John Lewis, who, as he has so often, took the torch from those who came before him and brought us past the finish line. It includes the philanthropists and benefactors and advisory members who have so generously given not only their money but their time. It includes the Americans who offered up all the family keepsakes tucked away in Grandma’s attic. And of course, it includes a man without whose vision and passion and persistence we would not be here today -- Mr. Lonnie Bunch. (Applause.)
What we can see of this building -- the towering glass, the artistry of the metalwork -- is surely a sight to behold. But beyond the majesty of the building, what makes this occasion so special is the larger story it contains. Below us, this building reaches down 70 feet, its roots spreading far wider and deeper than any tree on this Mall. And on its lowest level, after you walk past remnants of a slave ship, after you reflect on the immortal declaration that “all men are created equal,” you can see a block of stone. On top of this stone sits a historical marker, weathered by the ages. That marker reads: “General Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay spoke from this slave block…during the year 1830.”
I want you to think about this. Consider what this artifact tells us about history, about how it’s told, and about what can be cast aside. On a stone where day after day, for years, men and women were torn from their spouse or their child, shackled and bound, and bought and sold, and bid like cattle; on a stone worn down by the tragedy of over a thousand bare feet -- for a long time, the only thing we considered important, the singular thing we once chose to commemorate as “history” with a plaque were the unmemorable speeches of two powerful men.
And that block I think explains why this museum is so necessary. Because that same object, reframed, put in context, tells us so much more. As Americans, we rightfully passed on the tales of the giants who built this country; who led armies into battle and waged seminal debates in the halls of Congress and the corridors of power. But too often, we ignored or forgot the stories of millions upon millions of others, who built this nation just as surely, whose humble eloquence, whose calloused hands, whose steady drive helped to create cities, erect industries, build the arsenals of democracy.
And so this national museum helps to tell a richer and fuller story of who we are. It helps us better understand the lives, yes, of the President, but also the slave; the industrialist, but also the porter; the keeper of the status quo, but also of the activist seeking to overthrow that status quo; the teacher or the cook, alongside the statesman. And by knowing this other story, we better understand ourselves and each other. It binds us together. It reaffirms that all of us are America -- that African-American history is not somehow separate from our larger American story, it's not the underside of the American story, it is central to the American story. That our glory derives not just from our most obvious triumphs, but how we’ve wrested triumph from tragedy, and how we've been able to remake ourselves, again and again and again, in accordance with our highest ideals.
I, too, am America.
The great historian John Hope Franklin, who helped to get this museum started, once said, “Good history is a good foundation for a better present and future.” He understood the best history doesn’t just sit behind a glass case; it helps us to understand what’s outside the case. The best history helps us recognize the mistakes that we’ve made and the dark corners of the human spirit that we need to guard against. And, yes, a clear-eyed view of history can make us uncomfortable, and shake us out of familiar narratives. But it is precisely because of that discomfort that we learn and grow and harness our collective power to make this nation more perfect.
That’s the American story that this museum tells -- one of suffering and delight; one of fear but also of hope; of wandering in the wilderness and then seeing out on the horizon a glimmer of the Promised Land.
It is in this embrace of truth, as best as we can know it, in the celebration of the entire American experience, where real patriotism lies. As President Bush just said, a great nation doesn’t shy from the truth. It strengthens us. It emboldens us. It should fortify us. It is an act of patriotism to understand where we've been. And this museum tells the story of so many patriots.
Yes, African Americans have felt the cold weight of shackles and the stinging lash of the field whip. But we’ve also dared to run north, and sing songs from Harriet Tubman’s hymnal. We’ve buttoned up our Union Blues to join the fight for our freedom. We’ve railed against injustice for decade upon decade -- a lifetime of struggle, and progress, and enlightenment that we see etched in Frederick Douglass’s mighty, leonine gaze.
Yes, this museum tells a story of people who felt the indignity, the small and large humiliations of a “whites only” sign, or wept at the side of Emmett Till’s coffin, or fell to their knees on shards of stained glass outside a church where four little girls died. But it also tells the story of the black youth and white youth sitting alongside each other, straight-backed, so full of dignity on those lunch counter stools; the story of a six-year-old Ruby Bridges, pigtails, fresh-pressed dress, walking that gauntlet to get to school; Tuskegee airmen soaring the skies not just to beat a dictator, but to reaffirm the promise of our democracy -- (applause) -- but remind us that all of us are created equal.
This is the place to understand how protest and love of country don’t merely coexist but inform each other; how men can proudly win the gold for their country but still insist on raising a black-gloved fist; how we can wear “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt and still grieve for fallen police officers. Here’s the America where the razor-sharp uniform of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff belongs alongside the cape of the Godfather of Soul. (Laughter.) We have shown the world that we can float like butterflies and sting like bees; that we can rocket into space like Mae Jemison, steal home like Jackie, rock like Jimi, stir the pot like Richard Pryor; or we can be sick and tired of being sick and tired, like Fannie Lou Hamer, and still Rock Steady like Aretha Franklin. (Applause.)
We are large, Walt Whitman told us, containing multitudes. We are large, containing multitudes. Full of contradictions. That's America. That's what makes us grow. That's what makes us extraordinary. And as is true for America, so is true for African American experience. We're not a burden on America, or a stain on America, or an object of pity or charity for America. We're America. (Applause.)
And that's what this museum explains -- the fact that our stories have shaped every corner of our culture. The struggles for freedom that took place made our Constitution a real and living document, tested and shaped and deepened and made more profound its meaning for all people. The story told here doesn’t just belong to black Americans; it belongs to all Americans -- for the African-American experience has been shaped just as much by Europeans and Asians and Native Americans and Latinos. We have informed each other. We are polyglot, a stew.
Scripture promised that if we lift up the oppressed, then our light will rise in the darkness, and our night will become like the noonday. And the story contained in this museum makes those words prophecy. And that’s what this day is about. That’s what this museum is about. I, too, am America. It is a glorious story, the one that's told here. It is complicated and it is messy and it is full of contradictions, as all great stories are, as Shakespeare is, as Scripture is. And it’s a story that perhaps needs to be told now more than ever.
A museum alone will not alleviate poverty in every inner city or every rural hamlet. It won't eliminate gun violence from all our neighborhoods, or immediately ensure that justice is always colorblind. It won't wipe away every instance of discrimination in a job interview or a sentencing hearing or folks trying to rent an apartment. Those things are up to us, the decisions and choices we make. It requires speaking out, and organizing, and voting, until our values are fully reflected in our laws and our policies and our communities.
But what this museum does show us is that in even the face of oppression, even in the face of unimaginable difficulty, America has moved forward. And so this museum provides context for the debates of our times. It illuminates them and gives us some sense of how they evolved, and perhaps keeps them in proportion. Perhaps it can help a white visitor understand the pain and anger of demonstrators in places like Tulsa and Charlotte. But it can also help black visitors appreciate the fact that not only is this younger generation carrying on traditions of the past but, within the white communities across this nation we see the sincerity of law enforcement officers and officials who, in fits and starts, are struggling to understand, and are trying to do the right thing.
It reminds us that routine discrimination and Jim Crow aren't ancient history, it's just a blink in the eye of history. It was just yesterday. And so we should not be surprised that not all the healing is done. We shouldn’t despair that it’s not all solved. And knowing the larger story should instead remind us of just how remarkable the changes that have taken place truly are -- just in my lifetime -- and thereby inspire us to further progress.
And so hopefully this museum can help us talk to each other. And more importantly, listen to each other. And most importantly, see each other. Black and white and Latino and Native American and Asian American -- see how our stories are bound together. And bound together with women in America, and workers in America, and entrepreneurs in America, and LGBT Americans. And for young people who didn’t live through the struggles represented here, I hope you draw strength from the changes that have taken place. Come here and see the power of your own agency. See how young John Lewis was. These were children who transformed a nation in a blink of an eye. Young people, come here and see your ability to make your mark.
The very fact of this day does not prove that America is perfect, but it does validate the ideas of our founding, that this country born of change, this country born of revolution, this country of we, the people, this country can get better.
And that’s why we celebrate, mindful that our work is not yet done; mindful that we are but on a waystation on this common journey towards freedom. And how glorious it is that we enshrine it here, on some of our nation’s most hallowed ground -- the same place where lives were once traded but also where hundreds of thousands of Americans, of all colors and creeds, once marched. How joyful it is that this story take its rightful place -- alongside Jefferson who declared our independence, and Washington who made it real, and alongside Lincoln who saved our union, and the GIs who defended it; alongside a new monument to a King, gazing outward, summoning us toward that mountaintop. How righteous it is that (we) tell this story here.
For almost eight years, I have been blessed with the extraordinary honor of serving you in this office. (Applause.) Time and again, I’ve flown low over this mall on Marine One, often with Michelle and our daughters. And President Clinton, President Bush, they’ll tell you it is incredible sight. We pass right across the Washington Monument -- it feels like you can reach out and touch it. And at night, if you turn the other way, you don't just see the Lincoln Memorial, Old Abe is lit up and you can see him, his spirit glowing from that building. And we don’t have many trips left. But over the years, I’ve always been comforted as I’ve watched this museum rise from this earth into this remarkable tribute. Because I know that years from now, like all of you, Michelle and I will be able to come here to this museum, and not just bring our kids but hopefully our grandkids. I imagine holding a little hand of somebody and tell(ing) them the stories that are enshrined here.
And in the years that follow, they’ll be able to do the same. And then we’ll go to the Lincoln Memorial and we'll take in the view atop the Washington Monument. And together, we’ll learn about ourselves, as Americans -- our sufferings, our delights, and our triumphs. And we’ll walk away better for it, better because the better grasp of history. We'll walk away that much more in love with this country, the only place on Earth where this story could have unfolded. (Applause.)
It is a monument, no less than the others on this Mall, to the deep and abiding love for this country, and the ideals upon which it is founded. For we, too, are America.
So enough talk. President Bush is timing me. (Laughter.) He had the over/under at 25. (Laughter.) Let us now open this museum to the world. Today, we have with us a family that reflects the arc of our progress: the Bonner family -- four generations in all, starting with gorgeous seven-year-old Christine and going up to gorgeous 99-year-old Ruth. (Applause.)
Now, Ruth’s father, Elijah Odom, was born into servitude in Mississippi. He was born a slave. As a young boy, he ran, though, to his freedom. He lived through Reconstruction and he lived through Jim Crow. But he went on to farm, and graduate from medical school, and gave life to the beautiful family that we see today -- with a spirit reflected in beautiful Christine, free and equal in the laws of her country and in the eyes of God.
So in a brief moment, their family will join us in ringing a bell from the First Baptist Church in Virginia -- one of the oldest black churches in America, founded under a grove of trees in 1776. And the sound of this bell will be echoed by others in houses of worship and town squares all across this country -- an echo of the ringing bells that signaled Emancipation more than a century and a half ago; the sound, and the anthem, of American freedom.
God bless you all. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
---- end speech transcript of USA President Obama ----
Pic below shows USA President Obama giving his speech.
Pic below shows the Bonner family, USA President Obama and USA First Lady Michelle Obama ringing the bell.
[I thank Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, washingtonpost.com, wikipedia and whitehouse.gov and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their websites on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
James Baldwin once wrote, “For while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard.” For while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard.
Today, as so many generations have before, we gather on our National Mall to tell an essential part of our American story -- one that has at times been overlooked -- we come not just for today, but for all time.
President and Mrs. Bush; President Clinton; Vice President and Dr. Biden; Chief Justice Roberts; Secretary Skorton; Reverend Butts; distinguished guests: Thank you. Thank you for your leadership in making sure this tale is told. We’re here in part because of you and because of all those Americans -- the Civil War vets, the Civil Rights foot soldiers, the champions of this effort on Capitol Hill -- who, for more than a century, kept the dream of this museum alive.
That includes our leaders in Congress -- Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi. It includes one of my heroes, John Lewis, who, as he has so often, took the torch from those who came before him and brought us past the finish line. It includes the philanthropists and benefactors and advisory members who have so generously given not only their money but their time. It includes the Americans who offered up all the family keepsakes tucked away in Grandma’s attic. And of course, it includes a man without whose vision and passion and persistence we would not be here today -- Mr. Lonnie Bunch. (Applause.)
What we can see of this building -- the towering glass, the artistry of the metalwork -- is surely a sight to behold. But beyond the majesty of the building, what makes this occasion so special is the larger story it contains. Below us, this building reaches down 70 feet, its roots spreading far wider and deeper than any tree on this Mall. And on its lowest level, after you walk past remnants of a slave ship, after you reflect on the immortal declaration that “all men are created equal,” you can see a block of stone. On top of this stone sits a historical marker, weathered by the ages. That marker reads: “General Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay spoke from this slave block…during the year 1830.”
I want you to think about this. Consider what this artifact tells us about history, about how it’s told, and about what can be cast aside. On a stone where day after day, for years, men and women were torn from their spouse or their child, shackled and bound, and bought and sold, and bid like cattle; on a stone worn down by the tragedy of over a thousand bare feet -- for a long time, the only thing we considered important, the singular thing we once chose to commemorate as “history” with a plaque were the unmemorable speeches of two powerful men.
And that block I think explains why this museum is so necessary. Because that same object, reframed, put in context, tells us so much more. As Americans, we rightfully passed on the tales of the giants who built this country; who led armies into battle and waged seminal debates in the halls of Congress and the corridors of power. But too often, we ignored or forgot the stories of millions upon millions of others, who built this nation just as surely, whose humble eloquence, whose calloused hands, whose steady drive helped to create cities, erect industries, build the arsenals of democracy.
And so this national museum helps to tell a richer and fuller story of who we are. It helps us better understand the lives, yes, of the President, but also the slave; the industrialist, but also the porter; the keeper of the status quo, but also of the activist seeking to overthrow that status quo; the teacher or the cook, alongside the statesman. And by knowing this other story, we better understand ourselves and each other. It binds us together. It reaffirms that all of us are America -- that African-American history is not somehow separate from our larger American story, it's not the underside of the American story, it is central to the American story. That our glory derives not just from our most obvious triumphs, but how we’ve wrested triumph from tragedy, and how we've been able to remake ourselves, again and again and again, in accordance with our highest ideals.
I, too, am America.
The great historian John Hope Franklin, who helped to get this museum started, once said, “Good history is a good foundation for a better present and future.” He understood the best history doesn’t just sit behind a glass case; it helps us to understand what’s outside the case. The best history helps us recognize the mistakes that we’ve made and the dark corners of the human spirit that we need to guard against. And, yes, a clear-eyed view of history can make us uncomfortable, and shake us out of familiar narratives. But it is precisely because of that discomfort that we learn and grow and harness our collective power to make this nation more perfect.
That’s the American story that this museum tells -- one of suffering and delight; one of fear but also of hope; of wandering in the wilderness and then seeing out on the horizon a glimmer of the Promised Land.
It is in this embrace of truth, as best as we can know it, in the celebration of the entire American experience, where real patriotism lies. As President Bush just said, a great nation doesn’t shy from the truth. It strengthens us. It emboldens us. It should fortify us. It is an act of patriotism to understand where we've been. And this museum tells the story of so many patriots.
Yes, African Americans have felt the cold weight of shackles and the stinging lash of the field whip. But we’ve also dared to run north, and sing songs from Harriet Tubman’s hymnal. We’ve buttoned up our Union Blues to join the fight for our freedom. We’ve railed against injustice for decade upon decade -- a lifetime of struggle, and progress, and enlightenment that we see etched in Frederick Douglass’s mighty, leonine gaze.
Yes, this museum tells a story of people who felt the indignity, the small and large humiliations of a “whites only” sign, or wept at the side of Emmett Till’s coffin, or fell to their knees on shards of stained glass outside a church where four little girls died. But it also tells the story of the black youth and white youth sitting alongside each other, straight-backed, so full of dignity on those lunch counter stools; the story of a six-year-old Ruby Bridges, pigtails, fresh-pressed dress, walking that gauntlet to get to school; Tuskegee airmen soaring the skies not just to beat a dictator, but to reaffirm the promise of our democracy -- (applause) -- but remind us that all of us are created equal.
This is the place to understand how protest and love of country don’t merely coexist but inform each other; how men can proudly win the gold for their country but still insist on raising a black-gloved fist; how we can wear “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt and still grieve for fallen police officers. Here’s the America where the razor-sharp uniform of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff belongs alongside the cape of the Godfather of Soul. (Laughter.) We have shown the world that we can float like butterflies and sting like bees; that we can rocket into space like Mae Jemison, steal home like Jackie, rock like Jimi, stir the pot like Richard Pryor; or we can be sick and tired of being sick and tired, like Fannie Lou Hamer, and still Rock Steady like Aretha Franklin. (Applause.)
We are large, Walt Whitman told us, containing multitudes. We are large, containing multitudes. Full of contradictions. That's America. That's what makes us grow. That's what makes us extraordinary. And as is true for America, so is true for African American experience. We're not a burden on America, or a stain on America, or an object of pity or charity for America. We're America. (Applause.)
And that's what this museum explains -- the fact that our stories have shaped every corner of our culture. The struggles for freedom that took place made our Constitution a real and living document, tested and shaped and deepened and made more profound its meaning for all people. The story told here doesn’t just belong to black Americans; it belongs to all Americans -- for the African-American experience has been shaped just as much by Europeans and Asians and Native Americans and Latinos. We have informed each other. We are polyglot, a stew.
Scripture promised that if we lift up the oppressed, then our light will rise in the darkness, and our night will become like the noonday. And the story contained in this museum makes those words prophecy. And that’s what this day is about. That’s what this museum is about. I, too, am America. It is a glorious story, the one that's told here. It is complicated and it is messy and it is full of contradictions, as all great stories are, as Shakespeare is, as Scripture is. And it’s a story that perhaps needs to be told now more than ever.
A museum alone will not alleviate poverty in every inner city or every rural hamlet. It won't eliminate gun violence from all our neighborhoods, or immediately ensure that justice is always colorblind. It won't wipe away every instance of discrimination in a job interview or a sentencing hearing or folks trying to rent an apartment. Those things are up to us, the decisions and choices we make. It requires speaking out, and organizing, and voting, until our values are fully reflected in our laws and our policies and our communities.
But what this museum does show us is that in even the face of oppression, even in the face of unimaginable difficulty, America has moved forward. And so this museum provides context for the debates of our times. It illuminates them and gives us some sense of how they evolved, and perhaps keeps them in proportion. Perhaps it can help a white visitor understand the pain and anger of demonstrators in places like Tulsa and Charlotte. But it can also help black visitors appreciate the fact that not only is this younger generation carrying on traditions of the past but, within the white communities across this nation we see the sincerity of law enforcement officers and officials who, in fits and starts, are struggling to understand, and are trying to do the right thing.
It reminds us that routine discrimination and Jim Crow aren't ancient history, it's just a blink in the eye of history. It was just yesterday. And so we should not be surprised that not all the healing is done. We shouldn’t despair that it’s not all solved. And knowing the larger story should instead remind us of just how remarkable the changes that have taken place truly are -- just in my lifetime -- and thereby inspire us to further progress.
And so hopefully this museum can help us talk to each other. And more importantly, listen to each other. And most importantly, see each other. Black and white and Latino and Native American and Asian American -- see how our stories are bound together. And bound together with women in America, and workers in America, and entrepreneurs in America, and LGBT Americans. And for young people who didn’t live through the struggles represented here, I hope you draw strength from the changes that have taken place. Come here and see the power of your own agency. See how young John Lewis was. These were children who transformed a nation in a blink of an eye. Young people, come here and see your ability to make your mark.
The very fact of this day does not prove that America is perfect, but it does validate the ideas of our founding, that this country born of change, this country born of revolution, this country of we, the people, this country can get better.
And that’s why we celebrate, mindful that our work is not yet done; mindful that we are but on a waystation on this common journey towards freedom. And how glorious it is that we enshrine it here, on some of our nation’s most hallowed ground -- the same place where lives were once traded but also where hundreds of thousands of Americans, of all colors and creeds, once marched. How joyful it is that this story take its rightful place -- alongside Jefferson who declared our independence, and Washington who made it real, and alongside Lincoln who saved our union, and the GIs who defended it; alongside a new monument to a King, gazing outward, summoning us toward that mountaintop. How righteous it is that (we) tell this story here.
For almost eight years, I have been blessed with the extraordinary honor of serving you in this office. (Applause.) Time and again, I’ve flown low over this mall on Marine One, often with Michelle and our daughters. And President Clinton, President Bush, they’ll tell you it is incredible sight. We pass right across the Washington Monument -- it feels like you can reach out and touch it. And at night, if you turn the other way, you don't just see the Lincoln Memorial, Old Abe is lit up and you can see him, his spirit glowing from that building. And we don’t have many trips left. But over the years, I’ve always been comforted as I’ve watched this museum rise from this earth into this remarkable tribute. Because I know that years from now, like all of you, Michelle and I will be able to come here to this museum, and not just bring our kids but hopefully our grandkids. I imagine holding a little hand of somebody and tell(ing) them the stories that are enshrined here.
And in the years that follow, they’ll be able to do the same. And then we’ll go to the Lincoln Memorial and we'll take in the view atop the Washington Monument. And together, we’ll learn about ourselves, as Americans -- our sufferings, our delights, and our triumphs. And we’ll walk away better for it, better because the better grasp of history. We'll walk away that much more in love with this country, the only place on Earth where this story could have unfolded. (Applause.)
It is a monument, no less than the others on this Mall, to the deep and abiding love for this country, and the ideals upon which it is founded. For we, too, are America.
So enough talk. President Bush is timing me. (Laughter.) He had the over/under at 25. (Laughter.) Let us now open this museum to the world. Today, we have with us a family that reflects the arc of our progress: the Bonner family -- four generations in all, starting with gorgeous seven-year-old Christine and going up to gorgeous 99-year-old Ruth. (Applause.)
Now, Ruth’s father, Elijah Odom, was born into servitude in Mississippi. He was born a slave. As a young boy, he ran, though, to his freedom. He lived through Reconstruction and he lived through Jim Crow. But he went on to farm, and graduate from medical school, and gave life to the beautiful family that we see today -- with a spirit reflected in beautiful Christine, free and equal in the laws of her country and in the eyes of God.
So in a brief moment, their family will join us in ringing a bell from the First Baptist Church in Virginia -- one of the oldest black churches in America, founded under a grove of trees in 1776. And the sound of this bell will be echoed by others in houses of worship and town squares all across this country -- an echo of the ringing bells that signaled Emancipation more than a century and a half ago; the sound, and the anthem, of American freedom.
God bless you all. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
---- end speech transcript of USA President Obama ----
Pic below shows USA President Obama giving his speech.
Pic below shows the Bonner family, USA President Obama and USA First Lady Michelle Obama ringing the bell.
[I thank Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, washingtonpost.com, wikipedia and whitehouse.gov and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their websites on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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