A Letter to Our Community
“I know you are asking today, 'How long will it take?' Somebody’s asking, 'How long will prejudice blind the visions of men?'...I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because truth crushed to earth will rise again. How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever. How long? Not long, because you shall reap what you sow. How long? Not long.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke those words on the steps of the Alabama state capitol during the 1965 Selma March, below the window of racist governor George Wallace. King’s timeless words echo a critical question in our hearts today – how long? How long shall racial terror brutally slay Black lives, exhaust the soul of a people, and erode the core of our nation? How long shall we have to relive the anguish, agony, and affliction of the unjustified murders of Emmitt Till, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, the Charleston Nine, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Oscar Grant, and countless others who have lost their lives to the ongoing practice of unchecked racial violence?
We express our deepest condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the far too many Black souls whose lives have fallen victim to overt and systemic racism in this country.
Philosopher Cornel West powerfully said, “To live is to wrestle with despair, yet never allow despair to have the last word.” In this moment, it is important that we make space for our pain, sorrow, fatigue, anger, and bewilderment. Let us also remember that, when directed, these feelings can give way to a determined and forward-facing resolve to “never allow despair to have the last word.”
This is what history reminds us. Together, we can and should courageously address the giants of our day and confront racism and privilege the way that our ancestors did. But this battle does not belong to the Black community. It belongs to every person who believes in, and advocates for, human rights.
Since the very first Black museum was established in 1868, over 150 years ago at Hampton University, Black museums have upheld an unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and educational empowerment. In this light, NAAM will co-host a national virtual Juneteenth event in collaboration with other Black museums from across the country featuring the first Black Secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie Bunch, and Dr. Carla Hayden, the first Black U.S. Librarian of Congress. We invite you to join us virtually and look forward to sharing more information with you in the coming days.
Additionally, this month and throughout the summer, we will engage our community in meaningful conversations around awareness and action. Join us this Saturday at 5pm PST for Know Your Vote: What is Democracy in America? - a virtual community dialogue presented in partnership with MOHAI.
NAAM is in the business of using the power of African American history, art, and culture to, as Cornel West says, wrestle for hope and justice to win so that despair will never have the last word. With the force of history pushing us forward, how can we use this moment, this mission, and this movement to make equity and dignity a reality for all? Let us answer this together, through commitment and action.
LaNesha Debardelaben,
Executive Director, Northwest African American Museum
To learn more about African American history, visit these online resources:
1) Newly formed resource produced by the National Museum of African American History and Culture: Talking about Race, here
2) The Most Comprehensive Online Source on Black History, www.BlackPast.org here
3) In case you missed it, NAAM's Malcolm X page of educational resources here
4) Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) statement on this moment in Black history, here