We Need an African-American Museum on the Mall

WE NEED AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSEUM ON THE MALL

______

HON. JOHN LEWIS

of Georgia

in the House of Representatives

Wednesday, February 1, 1995 Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am once again introducing a bill to establish an African American Museum as part of the Smithsonian and to be located on the Mall in Washington, DC. I do this on the first day of black history month to highlight the need for and the importance of such a museum. The story of black people in America has yet to be told. As a result, the understanding of American history remains incomplete. African American history is an integral part of our country, yet the richness and variety of that history is little-known and little- understood. Too few people know that Benjamin Banneker, an outstanding mathematician, along with Pierre L'Enfant, designed this city. Some of our Nation's greatest cowboys were black, including Bill Pickett and Deadwood Dick. How many people know that Dr. Daniel Hale William was a pioneering heart surgeon in the last century? And that Ernest Everest Just, Percy Julian, and George Washington Carver were all outstanding scientists? One of the greatest periods in America's cultural history was the Harlem renaissance. Writers, artists, poets, and photographers like Langston Hughes, James Van Der Zee, Countee Cullen, and Aaron Douglas were all part of the renaissance. More recently, the civil rights movement changed the face of this country and inspired movements toward democracy and justice all over the world. There is much, much more--and it must be told to all Americans. Until we understand the African American story in its fullness and complexity, we cannot understand ourselves as a Nation. We must know who we are and what we have done in order to truly consider where we must go from this day forward. I am pleased and delighted that many of my colleagues have cosponsored this bill. I urge all my colleagues to support this worthwhile and important legislation.