Last month, my junior class and I took a day trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, to learn more extensively about the experiences which may not be conveyed in the classroom. The museum covers everything on African American history, from the time that enslaved peoples came to America, to the modern day.
If you have never been to the museum, one interesting design feature is the museum’s use of space. The museum has multiple levels, some of which are above ground and some of which are below ground. If you venture through the museum on the “correct” course, you start at the underground levels, where the design’s purpose is to make the visitor feel trapped, with narrow hallways and limited space to move around, and low-lit display cases. This correlates with the artifacts displayed in those levels, which range from 1500s to the mid-20th century, and educate visitors on the creation of systems of oppression and violence in the span of that time; the artifacts in this section are disheartening and somber. As the museum progresses to the upper levels, the space opens up, with high ceilings and atmospheric lighting, which is in juxtaposition to the previous floors. These upper floors cover topics in culture, such as music and sports, and display achievements and advancements rather than exploitation.
As I progressed through the museum, my favorite section was the highest level, where there was an art exhibition of pieces from Black artists; the museum switches these exhibitions out every so often. One specific exhibition focused on protest and defiance and how visual art facilitates this. Personally, this was the most interesting section because it provided unique and personal perspectives which were not shown throughout the rest of the museum. Additionally, a crowd favorite was the Sweet Home Cafe, the cafeteria in the museum, which serves classic southern soul food, a food genre which was created by African Americans during the time of slavery.
I believe going on these kinds of field trips, especially in a time where there is so much division in our country, is very important to educating ourselves on the horrors of the past, so we don’t repeat the same mistakes. Too many people forget, or purposefully do not recognize, the past of our nation, and it is especially crucial to preserve and make sure that the long-lasting impact of the past is not lost on future generations. I found this trip to be a quality experience, and I hope that future junior classes are able to experience the same.
