New African-American museum in D.C. stands out architecturally

Los Angeles Times

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is set to open Sept. 24 in Washington D.C. Carefully situated near the National Mall, the Smithsonian, and the Commerce Department, the NMAAHC poses as an architectural anomaly. The $540 million museum is coated with bronze panels of a lattice pattern drawn from the ironwork of early slaves. Its contemporary design contrasts greatly against the blank, neoclassical architectural style D.C. is well-known for.

While our nation's capital remains a place of patriotism, the NMAAHC stands defiantly to remind the nation of an issue that has always been prevalent, but is often shied away from discussing - and that is the issue of racial discrimination. However, with the Black Lives Matter movement and the refusal of professional athletes to stand during the national anthem, race has increasingly become hard to ignore; the NMAAHC aims to do just that. It not only reminds us of our faults as a nation, but our ongoing efforts to confront our shortcomings while coming up with solutions at political, social, and artistic levels.