Visit to D.C. and the National Museum of African-American History

A visit to Pat and Bob Murphy in Reston, Virginia gave us a chance to see the newly opened African-American History Museum in D.C. Walking through the exhibits, we were hit by the sweeping drama of the African-American story, which was presented with intelligence and compassion. The photography, art and artifacts, and narrative text covered the slave trade, the founding of our country, profits and degradations of slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, the contributions of Black Americans to our culture, the presidency of Barack Obama, and Black Lives Matter. What stood out for me were the heroic efforts of individuals against all odds. We know their names. To a great extent, all history is biography, as Emerson noted.  

Spending time in Reston with Pat and Bob, and then Brenda and Bill, brought back so many memories of play groups, Christmas and Halloween parties, and crazy outings to D.C. with kids and bikes in tow. Those years were happy times, even when Mark ran into a car in front of him with a carload of Stephen's six-year-old friends on the way to his bowling birthday party. The broken headlight, the police, Mark's door-to-door apologies to the parents...the boys thought it was the coolest party ever. And then stopping by our favorite spots in Washington reminded me of those Sundays we skipped church to take the kids to the Smithsonian. The Library of Congress is still the stunner, with interesting exhibits always. We were surprised at the absence of protestors at the Supreme Court, and we were not surprised at our nostalgic feelings on seeing inaugural photos of the Obamas in the American History Museum. Of course, we had to make our rounds of the National Gallery of Art and the East Wing. I took my time at my favorite Cezannes.