National Museum of African American History & Culture Guided Tour

A PEOPLE’S JOURNEY, A NATION’S STORY WELCOME TO THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY & CULTURE   The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts and nearly 100,000 individuals have become members. The Museum opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.   There are four pillars upon which the NMAAHC stands:  It provides an opportunity for those who are interested in African American culture to explore and revel in this history through interactive exhibitions It helps all Americans see how their stories, their histories, and their cultures are shaped and informed by global influences It explores what it means to be an American and share how American values like resiliency, optimism, and spirituality are reflected in African American history and culture It serves as a place of collaboration that reaches beyond Washington, D.C. to engage new audiences and to work with the myriad of museums and educational institutions that have explored and preserved this important history well before this museum was created. The NMAAHC is a public institution open to all, where anyone is welcome to participate, collaborate, and learn more about African American history and culture. In the words of Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of the Museum, “there are few things as powerful and as important as a people, as a nation that is steeped in its history.”   __________________________ Our program is a GUIDED TOUR OF THE MUSEUM HOSTED BY MICHELE BALLARD, a Registered Dietitian and Southern California native. We expect the guided tour portion of our program to end at approximately 2:20 pm but the museum is open until 5:30 pm and you are welcome to stay until then. THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY & CULTURE (NMAAHC): https://nmaahc.si.edu/ [https://nmaahc.si.edu/] https://www.facebook.com/NMAAHC/ [https://www.facebook.com/NMAAHC/]       REGISTRATION: As this is a limited space event (and to reduce “no shows”) there is a $10.00 per person registration-in-advance fee / donation to attend, with proceeds supporting our Washington, DC History & Culture non-profit community programs. Full refund if the event is cancelled or if you change your RSVP to “no” at least 48 hours beforehand.  We've already reserved timed-entry passes for our tour group and while the museum admission is free your registration fee / donation is for the guided tour portion of the program.  You do not need to bring your ticket/confirmation with you. Upon arrival we’ll just check your name off our RSVP list.    WEATHER: This program is mostly indoors and will thus take place rain or shine.   MEETING POINt: 12:20 pm sharp inside the main gallery of the Smithsonian Institution Building - aka “the Castle” - 1000 Jefferson Dr SW (between 9th and 12th). All members of our tour group need to enter the African American Museum together with Michele, the tour group leader. Therefore, we're meeting at the Smithsonian Castle first for a variety of reasons: it's near the metro, there are restrooms and a cafe that can be used beforehand, and the tour group can get checked in and assembled indoors vs. outdoors in the cold.  Look for your host MICHELE (pictured below) and a group of friendly people. Our program will begin with our traditional group “icebreaker” introductions and then we’ll walk 0.5 miles together from the Smithsonian Castle to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Anyone not at the Smithsonian Castle by 12:30 pm may lose their reservation. Our tour will last approximately 2 hours from the time we meet at the Smithsonian Castle. However, you can leave early if needed. The museum is open until 5:30 pm and you can stay as long as you like. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS: Anything that can’t be answered by the above event description, Google, or common sense please let us know. __________________________     This program is presented by the non-profit community organization WASHINGTON, DC HISTORY & CULTURE: “_bringing people together to experience the history and culture of Washington, DC_.”   For more entertaining and educational programs visit us at: https://www.Facebook.com/DCHistoryAndCulture [https://www.Facebook.com/DCHistoryAndCulture] https://www.Meetup.com/DCHistoryAndCulture [https://www.Meetup.com/DCHistoryAndCulture] https://DCHistoryAndCulture.Eventbrite.com [https://DCHistoryAndCulture.Eventbrite.com] http://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonDCHistoryCulture [http://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonDCHistoryCulture] https://www.Instagram.com/DCHistoryAndCulture [https://www.Instagram.com/DCHistoryAndCulture] #DCHistoryAndCulture   Michele Ballard RD - Registered Dietitian 951-369-3297 (text only) umicheleballard@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleballard/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleballard/]