Black History Month Spotlight: America I Am
Earlier this month I highlighted the achievements of Chef Jeff Henderson, the creator of the America I Am cookbook. Later I found out this was only a small nugget of the entire America I Am concept. Now as the month comes to end, I wanted to share with you the America I Am exhibit. The National Geographic Museum is the temporary home of the extensive America I Am exhibit which shares everything from the original shackles placed on the slaves to Prince’s famed purple guitar. I had the opportunity to take a sneak peek with camera in tow and I took full advantage to get pics of the food related and non-food related displays.
Shackles used in the slave trade
Shackles and whips used in the slave trade
Typical cooking tools used during slave trade
Advertisement used in late 1800's-1900's for a chicken restaurant
Segregation signs used before and during the Civil Rights Movement
Spirit portion of the Exhibit showing the impact of church on the black community during the slave trade and the Civil Rights Movement
The remake of the jail cell that Dr. King was in when he authored "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
Rosa Parks being fingerprinted after refusing to give up her front seat on the bus
Muhammad Ali's training robe worn for "Rumble in the Jungle" where he defeated Heavyweight Champ George Foreman
Prince's famed Purple guitar
Stevie Wonder's harmonica
The list goes on and on of the things you will see in the exhibit. Lucky for me, the National Geographic Museum knows that Black History Month extends beyond the 28 days of February where the exhibit will be on display until May 1, 2011. With over 200 artifacts and coverage of over 500 years of African Americans contributions to the United States, this is an excellent way to celebrate the rich heritage of African Americans in this country. More info on tickets here.
Category: Food.Fun.Stuff., Washington D.C.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.Subscribe
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