{"id":1412,"date":"2016-10-10T23:51:58","date_gmt":"2016-10-10T23:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/socamom.com\/w\/the-caribbean-family-guide-to-the-national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture\/"},"modified":"2023-09-04T22:20:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T04:20:46","slug":"the-caribbean-family-guide-to-the-national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socamom.com\/w\/the-caribbean-family-guide-to-the-national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"The Caribbean Family Guide to the National Museum of African American History and Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Monday after its opening weekend, I spent the day with my children at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I was able to take a tour of the museum during the final stages of its construction back in June, so I already knew to keep my eye out for exhibits and pieces that highlighted the Caribbean contribution to the African American experience.<\/p>\n

Our Visit<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are several paths that you can take to explore the museum based on how much time you have, how many days you have, the ages of the children in your family (if you are taking kids), your emotional state, and how long the lines are.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From slavery on the lowest level of the museum, we moved up through the underground levels of the through emancipation, reconstruction, civil rights, early entertainment and integration, to the above ground levels featuring African American family life, military service, and contributions to sports, movies, music, and art. On every level, there were parts of the exhibits that showed Caribbean contribution and achievement.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons that I believe the museum is so popular with African Americans is that they finally see a full reflection of themselves in a historical context.<\/strong>\u00a0 As a first generation American, I can identify with the feeling of pride that someone who has been in the United States for generations gets when they see a person from their hometown accomplish great things. When I see someone who is a first or second generation American do something outstanding, it feels amazing.\u00a0 We are all just looking for reflections of ourselves. We all want to feel that sense of validation, and armed with the back stories of Caribbean Americans who have shaped the history of this country, Caribbean people, especially Caribbean Americans, can show their children that people with their same background made amazing contributions to the country that they now call home.<\/p>\n

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While many of the exhibits did not always mention the Caribbean heritage of the person highlighted, if you know who and what to look for, you and your family can see yourselves reflected in exhibits all over the museum.\u00a0 This guide is not comprehensive and is not meant to show you every single exhibit with a Caribbean connection, but it will show you how to seek out connections and where to find those that are highlighted throughout the museum.<\/p>\n

This guide will expand between now, your visit to the museum, and beyond. We expect, with the contributions of people who visit the museum and share new connections that they find this guide will grow and change often. To be kept informed of changes and additions to this guide with monthly email updates, enter your email address below.<\/p>\n

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Getting Started<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is a rough outline of the floors, exhibits, and collections at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. <\/strong>We have noted references to the Caribbean and the Caribbean experience in America, and where you may find them in the museum.\u00a0This guide will be updated with photos and downloads often, so bookmark it so that you can have the latest information when you visit.<\/p>\n

We started on the lowest level in on Concourse Level 3. We had three days to visit the museum, so I knew that we would have time to get to just about everything. If you only have a day, I suggest starting on the upper levels – just for your emotional well being. Our first day was slavery, reconstruction, and civil rights, and it was brutal. \u00a0The museum doesn’t sugar coat anything, so it is a long day of sadness and disappointment. \u00a0For kids and adults, that is a terrible place to end the story. \u00a0This is one time that I would suggest starting at or near the end of the story if you don’t have multiple days to visit. Even if you do have several days, if you are taking kids start at the top. \u00a0My kids had a hard time sleeping after a full day of slavery and civil rights education. \u00a0It wasn’t easy to get them to want to go back.<\/p>\n

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Concourse Level 3: Slavery and Freedom 1400 \u2013 1877<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We started in slavery, and the first thing that struck us were the numbers of slaves that went to the Caribbean (about 12 million) versus the number that went to what was to become the United States (400,000). We learned about brutal \u201cseasoning camps\u201d where slaves were broken in for a lifetime of harsh conditions and servitude, the Caribbean legacy of revolt and quest for freedom, and the early contributions of Caribbean people to the African American struggle for equality.<\/p>\n

This map and other parts of the exhibit shed light on the magnitude of the transatlantic slave trade and the effect it had on the Caribbean. \u00a0I don’t think that people really think about the numbers of African people brought to the Caribbean because of slavery. \u00a0Several exhibits were about sugar and sugar cane, rum, and other Caribbean crops and products that were powered by the slave trade.<\/p>\n

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