AJC Op-ed: African American History Is American History — The Power of Never Giving Up (NMAAHC's 10th Anniversary)

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. speaks at the dedication ceremony for the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington in September 2016. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

On the 10th anniversary of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an op-ed by Michael E. Collins, board chair and interim president of the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation, reflecting on Congressman John Lewis’ decades-long effort to help make the museum a reality.

In the op-ed, Collins reflects on:

• Congressman Lewis’ persistence in pursuing legislation to establish a national museum devoted to African American history and culture;

• The leadership of founding director and current Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III in bringing the museum from aspiration to reality;

• The museum’s role in preserving and telling a fuller story of America; and

• The importance of persistence, particularly when progress is met with opposition, delay or doubt.

“The museum was not built to divide America. It was built to help America understand itself,” Collins writes.

As the museum marks a decade since opening its doors, Collins looks to Congressman Lewis’ example and the lesson at the heart of the museum’s creation: meaningful change can require years of persistence.

Click here to read the op-ed in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. AJC may require readers to create a free account to access the article.

Click on the image below for a .pdf of the op-ed.