In college, I was assigned to read a tiny book by Toni Morrison called “Playing in the Dark.” In it, Morrison made many points about portrayal of black characters in American literature, but one in particular stuck with me—that all American literature (i.e., novels written by everyone from Ernest Hemingway to Toni Morrison herself) reflect the way blacks shaped the American identity.
Black people were here since the creation of America and therefore helped form the baseline of what it means to be American.
It resonated with me because I view myself as very American and very black. When I celebrate African American writers, for example, I feel a sense of pride in culture but also in country.
A Celebration of Black American History and Culture
I bring this up because something powerful is happening this weekend.
On September 24, a new Smithsonian museum is opening on the National Mall, next to the Washington Monument, dedicated to African American history and culture. It’s a 400,000 square foot declaration that the African American story is an American story.
To me, it’s validation of what I learned in college—that to understand America, you must understand black America.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) was established in 2003 by an Act of Congress signed by President George W. Bush. It’s going to reflect much more of the black American experience than slavery and Jim Crow. It will also be a celebration of resilience and accomplishment.
And when I say celebration—I mean Celebration.
The opening will include a 3-day festival on the Mall, lavish parties with donors like Oprah and Shonda Rhimes, and people from all over the country traveling to D.C. to participate in this historic event. President Barack Obama will cut the ribbon at a Dedication that will be open to the public Saturday morning.
Get Writing Inspiration
As writers, the new museum represents an opportunity (and I mean more than just an opportunity to explore the 140 literary artifacts on display).
The construction of the NMAAHC is an opportunity to understand this nation’s history through a different lens, and to incorporate that knowledge into our work. It will allow us to be inspired by a single painting or, like me, by the story of the museum itself. Or, if you’re in D.C., maybe it’ll just be a new space to write.
But it sure is something special.
What have you heard about the new museum? Let me know in the comments.
PRACTICE
You don’t have to travel to D.C. or even wait for the NMAAHC to open in order to benefit from the museum’s displays—you can view the collection online now. Go ahead and browse through it. Then, take fifteen minutes to write something based on something you saw.
When you’re done, share your writing in the comments and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers.
The post How to Find Writing Inspiration from African American History appeared first on The Write Practice.
from The Write Practice http://ift.tt/2cTvoyD
No comments:
Post a Comment