African American Museums Across the Country
After visiting the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH, the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, TN, and the National Museum of African American History in Culture, I'd like to share some thoughts with you all. I hope that you enjoy!
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
One of the most striking exhibitions in the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was this solemn memorial. It was a dimly lit circular room with a glowing column in the middle. Spirituals played softly in the background. This memorial was dedicated to the lives lost in slavery and the slave trade. I found it to be one of the most moving parts of the museum. Another aspect of the museum that I would recommend visiting is the section on modern slavery. It was appalling to see that slavery still plagues the world in many different ways.
National Museum of African American Music
I enjoyed the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville as well. My favorite parts of it were the interactive aspects. It was cool to try to make music combining different styles as well as see the roots of many popular current artists. Much of today's music truly can be traced back to the spirituals. I included the picture I shared above because it credits the spirituals that we've spent this semester discussing and analyzing. The museum also had parts dedicated to the Fisk Jubilee Singers, whom I look forward to sharing with you further in class on Wednesday!
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture was breathtaking. It was incredibly massive and comprehensive, covering not just all eras of African American History, but also culture on the upper floors. It was certainly heavy content; thinking about this aspect of our history is painful. Yet it is important to Americans to learn about and understand this past in order to properly frame our present. The picture above is of the Contemplative Court at the museum, which reminded me of the memorial at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and had a similar effect.
Above is an image of a shackle pendant as well as child and adult shackles. This part of the museum was especially difficult. It is one thing to read stories or hear statistics of slavery, but another to see striking evidence of it like this. Imagining children in shackles, crowded onto unsanitary ships and subjected to all kinds of abuse was terrible. Again, this is something that Americans have to confront rather than shy away from. History cannot be changed, but being informed about it can help the future.
I like how you start off your blog with an intro paragraph. I did the same thing, but think that I could have made it more casual like you did. I enjoyed reading about why you chose each picture, I think it helps create a more powerful feeling for readers. I like how you found a connection between the National Museum of African American History and Culture's reflection waterfall and the memorial at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. I think this allows your blog to have a very smooth and connected feel, which is representative of the connectedness of all of the museums.
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