A Book to Celebrate a Museum

The brand new jewel in the Smithsonian's collection of nineteen museums and galleries was a big idea that took a hundred years to become a reality. It will be on the A list of sights not-to-miss for current and future tourists. But you don't have to go to Washington to learn how this seemingly impossible dream became the latest magnificent building to complete the array on the National Mall. All you have to do is read Tonya Bolden's new children's book How To Build a Museum: Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. You can read it before you go as background to what you'll see and you can read it after you go, as a summary of what you saw. Needless to say, this building holds a mammoth accounting of the African American experience and culture on five stories below ground and five stories above. The construction of and the collection for the museum itself is a story.

Tonya Bolden's lyrical prose sums up its mission:

Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture is a treasure trove of paintings, photographs, posters, playbills, pottery, documents, dolls, diaries, books, balls, bells, benches, medals, medallions, and more: objects that deepen our understanding of the black experience in America and so strengthen our grasp of American history.

Like most nonfiction children's literature, How to Build a Museum is written for the uninitiated, of which the largest population of interested readers happens to be children. On the flap it says "Ages 10 up." Believe it! You'll like it; your children will like it; your grandchildren will like it.!

The first two-thirds of the book tells the story of the improbable various elements that had to come together--the law authorizing it, the money to fund it, the architectural plans, and most importantly the vision of what it could be--to make it happen. The last third of the book is a preview of the main permanent exhibits--Slavery and Freedom, the Era of Segregation, Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, achievements of blacks despite the obstacles, and contributions of black athletes, military, artists, musicians, writers and, of course, the architects of the museum itself. Tonya Bolden gets her arms around an enormous amount of material that is lovingly written and produced in a beautifully designed book.

Read How to Build a Museum if a trip to DC is on your bucket list for it will help guide your experience. And if visiting Washington is not on your horizon, read it to know what you're missing.