Another Fantastic Show at the NMAAHC Gallery

Where: American History Museum

When: closing January 6, 2019*

Several years ago, when the National Museum of African American History and Culture was still under construction, the American History Museum devoted one of its exhibit spaces to shows about African American History and Culture.  I've seen all of those shows, and they have, without exception, been terrific.  The curators are phenomenal - every show, and they've been quite different from each other, is set up so well, and the stories are told so clearly.  Based on this experience, I had very high hopes for the NMAAHC itself, and, as long time readers of this blog know, they were well exceeded.

I had thought that perhaps American History would turn that gallery to other purposes once the museum opened, but happily, it has not.  The current show, which will have closed by the time this post appears, tells the story of the "City of Hope" which was set up in 1968 on the National Mall, as a way to bring attention to issues of poverty in the United States, and to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, and his legacy.

Although the U.S. was a prosperous nation after the privation of WWII, many Americans were suffering in this land of plenty, especially persons of color, the elderly and those with disabilities.  The Southern Christian Leadership Conference set up a six week long "live-in" demonstration on the land between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, a literal city, with housing, schools and other places for residents to gather.

This display has many artifacts from this time period, including the TIME magazine cover with the Lichtenstein portrait of Robert F. Kennedy.  You walk through a wagon, like the ones that many people used to travel to DC from across the country.  You hear and see recordings of people living in what was called "Resurrection City."  There's a 3D printed model of the city, so you can get a sense of the scale of what was built.  My only criticism, and I mean this to be constructive, is that it was quite dark in the exhibit.  I assume this was in part due to the fragility of various items on display, but if the wall notes could have had some additional lighting, that would have been great.

Verdict: Another triumph for the NMAAHC Gallery at American Art.  Although this show has ended, do not miss whatever comes next!

*Due to the government shutdown, the Smithsonian is currently closed.