The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is officially open to the public.
Historians, writers, artists, educators, scholars and visitors will examine the museum iconography. They will raise questions, discuss opinions, shed tears and forage for answers among the artwork. They will examine seminal moments and movements that form a collective history. A language of inquiry will spill over onto social media - Twitter, Facebook and the like - and narratives will spread like wildfire.
Here are seven quotes that will inspire your conversations about the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
1. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
- Harriet Tubman
2. “The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are.”
- Maya Angelou
3. “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
4. “A tree without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
- Marcus Garvey
5. “I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up.”
- Rosa Parks
6. “The thing about Black history is that the truth is so much more complex than anything you could make up.”
- Henry Louis Gates
7. “The artist is like a secretary, whether he is a writer, a musician or a painter: He keeps records of his time.”
- Max Roach