Cultural biases

A lot of times, museums reveal the cultural biases of the place in which they are located. Museums, in this
sense, are microcosms. Traditionally, museums in this country have contained collections that were heavily
biased, and focused on the history and culture of its white citizens.
Museums, at best, reflect the reality of events taking place around us, where everyone can see their
experiences reflected and can find relevance in the content and the way in which it is presented. They can be
institutions that ask visitors questions and provide space for critical thinking, questions, and feedback.
Museums at worst are reminders of power and privilege, tangible just moments after stepping into the lobby.
Most museum visitors are well educated, affluent, and overwhelmingly white, especially when tallied across all
museum types. The picture improves a bit when U.S. museums are examined by discipline: science and
children’s museum visitors are much more diverse.
Visit the newest Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C., The National
Museum of African American History and Culture. The mission of the National Museum of African American
History and Culture is to tell the story of America through the lens of black history and culture.
The museum opened in 2016, and you can get a nice video introduction to it with this link.
In this assignment, you will make a virtual visit to the National Museum of African American History and
Culture, using the museum’s excellent website to explore its holdings.
MNAAHC
This virtual visit will form the basis of your paper, which will have three parts. LABEL EACH PART: I, II, III

1. Background and context. Begin with a discussion about what the National Museum of African American
   History and Culture is, where it is, when it came into being, and what it is for. Please include discussion of the
   building itself. Discuss its history, symbolism, and architecture.
   You can find this information by clicking:
   the “About” tab, and then “About the Museum”; AND
   the “Explore” tab, and going to “Building.”
   In this first part of your paper, practice the art of paraphrasing — that is, putting the information you are learning
   about in your own words in a way that makes a lot of information clear and contained. When you quote directly,
   please put the URL for the museum in parentheses (see below, and see the sample paper)
2. Choose and describe one item. There is a vast amount of wonderful material, and you can learn a great deal
   by simply exploring this site. Explore the museum!
   Go to the “Explore tab.”
   Click on both “Search the collection” and
   “Exhibitions.”