The repugnant symbols of hate and intolerance that have recently appeared in our nation’s capital and elsewhere around the country serve as a reminder that we as a nation have much work to do if we hope to close the racial divide that persists in the US. These cowardly acts also underscore the importance, relevance, and promise of institutions like the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Such blatant attempts to intimidate and deter will not succeed. African Americans have suffered through far greater indignities while building the legacy represented in the Smithsonian’s newest museum. When the history of our time is written, let this moment signify a positive turning point in race relations in this country and beyond.