Preview of The National Museum of African American History and Culture with IGDC

(Featured Photo by Peter Flint)

IGDC had the distinct pleasure of attending a private tour of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture ahead of their official opening September 24th.

Washington’s newest museum on the Mall is not only an architectural delight but it contains 400,000 square-feet of artifacts important in the history and culture of the African American journey. It records the tragedies and obstacles, the triumphs, the passion, the influence and the contributions these men and women experienced in our history.

It was an incredible experience wandering the halls together. Many of the stories display heart-wrenching, terrible and sad moments in our nation’s history but so many others are full of optimism, love and inspiration. We were blown away. The mood in the museum was celebratory and you could tell, even from the construction staff still hard at work, that the pride in finally showing off 100 years of hard work was deeply felt.

It’s a powerful experience to walk the halls and exhibition cases and we cannot wait to see how our community interprets the museum.

To see images from the day, please check #apeoplesjourney and #igdc. Some of our favorites are here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKaeLTMgK_F/

There's a certain feeling you can grasp when you start to think of the past and everything that happened to your people.

A post shared by @PhotoConvos (@mike.ant) on Sep 16, 2016 at 2:33am PDT

I only took one portrait yesterday at the @nmaahc preview. It was this one, of @jaredkeithlee. Jared found the spot and grabbed me to take the photo. It's nice when your friends know how to recognize good light. ✨ #apeoplesjourney #nmaahc #igdc

A post shared by James Jackson (@thisisjamesj) on Sep 15, 2016 at 7:02pm PDT

As I sit here and reflect on my visit to the @nmaahc yesterday, I'm reminded of a common thread that I found in each exhibit. It's a powerful narrative and a visceral lesson in humility that really resonated with me. That thread is an unwillingness to let recognition, visibility or respect diminish your ability to achieve greatness. Black people always have and will continue to have an influential impact on American culture and that impact has finally found undeniable prominence on the National Mall. Call it equality, call it respect, or maybe honor… I choose to call it change and I embrace it with open arms and eyes filled with tears of joy. This dynamic structure and the well-curated content that fills it, helps to ease some of the pain carried by generations of people, as well as restores visibility to the inspirational lives they led. A huge thanks to all the amazing people that are working long hours to get the museum ready for its September 24 debut, to the teams at @nmaahc and @instagram for the early preview and my @igdc family for keeping me motivated and sharing love and light throughout the District. "America can be changed. It will be changed." #APeoplesJourney #IGDC #NMAAHC

A post shared by Jared Keith Lee (@jaredkeithlee) on Sep 15, 2016 at 10:45am PDT

Flights of fancy in the new @nmaahc. This museum has some seriously beautiful lines, textures, and light–an architectural dream. Opening September 24th! #IGDC #NMAAHC #APeoplesJourney

A post shared by Jenn W (@jennrightmeow) on Sep 15, 2016 at 6:08am PDT

Senator @corybooker snaps a picture of a bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the art exhibit at @nmaahc #caughtgramming #notaniphoneimage #nmaahc #apeoplesjourney #igdc #acreativedc

A post shared by Joel Mason-Gaines (@joelmgs) on Sep 14, 2016 at 11:23pm PDT

This building means something to us because one day, our son will walk through these halls to not only learn but actually see our history. That makes us proud. Thank you to the @nmaahc for allowing me to see this great museum before the doors open publicly. #apeoplesjourney #IGDC #NMAAHC

A post shared by Phil (@phil.martin) on Sep 14, 2016 at 4:25pm PDT

"Of the five most important things in life, health is first, education or knowledge is second, and wealth is third. I forget the other two." – Chuck Berry You are looking at Chuck Berry's 1973 Cadillac Eldorado that sits beautifully inside the @nmaahc. Myself and a wonderful group of talented individuals were afforded a super early tour of this amazing museum. Thank you so much @facebook and @instagram for the amazing opportunity.

A post shared by Jarrett Hendrix (@jarrett.hendrix) on Sep 14, 2016 at 2:14pm PDT

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKWarvfgm42/

Secular vs. sacred music. #nmaahc #apeoplesjourney

A post shared by Alana Quinn (@aquinsta) on Sep 14, 2016 at 6:12am PDT

For the 100-year history of how the museum came to be, we recommend this NPR article:

http://www.npr.org/2016/09/14/493688656/100-years-in-the-making-black-history-and-culture-museum-ready-for-reveal
See More Photos from #apeoplesjourney on Instagram