Today marks the beginning of Black History Month. And today, I’m reflecting gratefully on Museum supporters like you who make the celebration of African American history a year-round mission.
Friend,
the Museum ensures that every month is Black History Month—by making African American history accessible and meaningful to Americans of every age, race, and background, while deepening our awareness of who we are as a nation. But to continue
this critical work of fostering a shared understanding of our common history, we’ve set a goal of raising $100,000 by February 28.
This month
serves to instill pride of self and community among young black people by emphasizing stories of black achievement and resilience, while helping the nation confront our shared history of racial discrimination in order to build a more just future.
For some, Black History Month ends on February 28, but the Museum’s mission is to tell the unvarnished African American
story every day. As a digital-first Museum, the NMAAHC goes beyond its walls and provides online access to its exhibitions and other content to visitors around the nation and the world. Exhibits range from the painful history of slavery—to heroes well-known
(freedom fighter Harriet Tubman) and unsung (1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott planner Jo Ann Robinson)—to barrier-breaking pioneers like entertainer Nat King Cole, astronaut Charles Bolden, and President Barack Obama.
Visitors leave the Museum with
the knowledge that all Americans are shaped in profound ways by the African American experience. And it’s our challenge to bring this shared understanding—and the reconciliation, healing, and brighter future we believe will follow—to
an even wider audience in 2019.
Thank you for all you’re doing to honor the African American heroes who have come before us—and inspire those who will carry their work into a more just and equitable future.