New | New US black history museum may help dialogue on race: Smithsonian chief

The new National Museum of African American History and Culture may help heal the persistent problem of US racism when it opens in 10 days, the head of the Smithsonian Institution said on Wednesday.

The US$540 million museum will be inaugurated by President Barack Obama as racial and cultural differences dominate the national scene, and is an ideal place for a dialogue about them, Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton said.

The bronze-colored museum’s showcase sits on Washington’s National Mall, known as “America’s Front Yard.” It is the only US national museum devoted exclusively to black American life, history, and culture, the Smithsonian says.

“Opening now, at a time when social and political discord remind us that racism is not, unfortunately, a thing of the past, this museum can, and I believe will, help us advance the public conversation,” Skorton told a news briefing on the launch of the museum, the 19th in the Smithsonian system.

Although workers were still putting finishing touches on the museum, Director Lonnie Bunch said it would be ready in time for the September 24 opening.

“It’s a piece of cake,” he said. A Smithsonian spokesman said 200,000 timed passes had been snapped up, with no openings available until November.