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#MuseumsRespondToFerguson June Theme: Engaging Black Voices

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The Role of Museums As Change Agents

Photo: Juan Williams, Opal Tometti, Mychal Denzel Smith, Lisa Crooms, Rev. F. Willis Johnson and Lonnie G. Bunch at the History, Rebellion and Reconciliation Symposium. Lanae Spruce, Smithsonian Institution.

“Ferguson, Cleveland, Staten Island, North Charleston, and now Baltimore have been seared into our consciousness. Yet this violence, this loss of innocence and life is not just an issue in urban African American communities—it casts shadows on Native and Latino life; it has sparked a national conversation and a movement that challenges America to confront issues of race and fairness that have haunted this country from its inception. . . .I also know that there have been key movements in our past when events, when tragedies, when injustice has galvanized the nation and the pain has led to profound change. This may be such a moment of possibility; a moment of change.” – Lonnie Bunch, Founding Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

This past Saturday the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) hosted a public dialogue about Ferguson and similar incidents of police violence sweeping the nation. At the same time, a protest of some 2,000 people took place in neighboring Baltimore, and a conference of museum professionals with a theme of social justice was hosted in Atlanta.

Photo: Jared Ball, Timothy Burnside, Jasiri X, Deirdre Cross, Sheila Pree Bright, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Jamilah Lemieux, Jef Tate and Mark Bolden at the History, Rebellion and Reconciliation Symposium. Lanae Spruce, Smithsonian Institution.

The role of cultural institutions has evolved in this tense climate. In particular, museums have grown from being institutions that collect, preserve and display objects, to places that also tell nuanced narratives, respond to current events and help the public make important historical and cultural connections. The NMAAHC public program “History, Rebellion, and Reconciliation: Communities Mobilized for Social Change” was an example of such necessary efforts.

However, the conversation cannot stop here, especially in the wake of the recent events in Baltimore. NMAAHC serves as a place where together, we can continue to learn, discuss, reflect and act in meaningful ways. We invite you to continue the dialogue by following us on Twitter, sharing our blog, or commenting on our Facebook page.

Tsione Wolde-Michael is the Writer/Editor for the Office of Curatorial Affairs, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. She is also a Doctoral Candidate in History at Harvard University.

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History, Rebellion and Reconciliation: Communities Mobilized for Social Change

Photo: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of James H Wallace Jr, © Jim Wallace

A police shooting of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo., this summer, along with other shootings by police officers around the country, led to weeks of protests in communities around the country. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will join the national conversation by hosting a daylong symposium titled, “History, Rebellion and Reconciliation: Communities Mobilized for Social Change.”

“We need to explore what this moment in our nation’s history means, especially in terms of leadership,” said Lonnie Bunch III, the director of NMAAHC. “What impact does generational change have on leadership and faith communities? What are the lessons to be learned from Ferguson, particularly within the context of community mobilization?”

Bunch will open the symposium and welcome guests at 9:45 a.m., followed by a discussion with Rev. Willis H. Johnson, pastor of Ferguson’s Wellspring Church. Willis will describe the conditions that led to the distrust between law enforcement and the city’s African American community.

Photo: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, © Charles Moore.

The symposium will consist of three panels, one each in the morning, afternoon and evening. The first panel, “Ferguson: Impact, Importance & Long-Range Hopes,” from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will explore the evolution of the media, community leadership and activism as they relate to communities organized against excessive police force and economic inequality. This panel will be moderated by Juan Williams, journalist and Fox News political analyst. Panelists include:

Lisa Crooms, Howard University law professor

Rev. F. Willis Johnson Jr., Wellspring Church

Mychal Denzel Smith, contributing writer, The Nation

The second panel, “Ferguson & Faith in the 21st Century,” from 2 to 4:30 p.m., addresses the past, present and future roles of faith organizations as advocates for social change. It also examines changing roles of faith leaders and the range of their focus. Moderated by Rex Ellis, NMAAHC associate director of curatorial affairs, the panel includes:

Jeff Johnson, journalist and motivational speaker

Renee Harrison, Howard University School of Divinity professor and former Los Angeles police officer

Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, pastor, theologian, author and community organizer

The final panel, “#Words Matter: Making Revolution Irresistible,” from 6 to 8:30 p.m., features the response of the creative community to excessive police violence, racism and communal demands for equality. The panel, moderated by Morgan State University professor Jared Ball, includes:

Mark Bolden, psychologist and co-moderator

Jasiri X, rapper and community activist

Jamilah Lemieux, senior digital editor, Ebony magazine

Jef Tate: DJ, Words, Beats and Life

Photo: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Roderick Terry, © Roderick Terry.

In addition to the panels, the symposium will also present “Citizen” works by award-winning poet Claudia Rankine, interpreted on film by director John Lucas from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The film shorts, titled Situation #1through 5, are based on Rankine’s book Citizen: An American Lyric, which is a National Book Award Finalist for 2014.

From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., the symposium will present “On Art and History: A Conversation with Ava DuVernay.” With Selma, DuVernay is the first black female director to have a film nominated for an Academy Award. She will discuss filmmaking and the creative responses to historic events such as the Selma to Montgomery march.

From 5 to 6 p.m., guests at the symposium can view a slide presentation of social justice related objects from the museum’s collection and select artists, accompanied by a mix from DJ Jef Tate of Words, Beats and Life.

In an effort to engage audiences beyond the walls of the Smithsonian, the daylong symposium will be available by livestream through a link on the museum’s website. The museum will also participate in dialogue on social media throughout the symposium. The public may follow the museum on Twitter @NMAAHC to participate in the discussion using #HRRlive or #WordsMatter.

View more images in our Communities Mobilized for Social Change Pinterest Board.

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