My Trip to Washington D.C., Day 1, Part 2

After spending the morning at the Grant Writers’ Association Conference, we walked over to the National Mall and went to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was amazing and overwhelming and so emotional. We only had the fortitude to visit the History section, and at that point were worn out and ready to head home for the day, which is too bad in a way because I think the Culture section would have been well worth seeing as well. The museum is part of the Smithsonian, which means that it is free, and I think a person could spend a month or two in D.C. and really visit all of the museums in depth, if one had the time. It would be a great place to be retired, I think, though it is a busy and expensive city.

The building itself is very modern and looks different than the older buildings surrounding it. It is beautiful and full of light. The historical exhibits are on the lower floors of the building, and begin in 15th century Africa and Europe, extend through the founding of the U.S., slavery up to the Civil War, then Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and Civil Rights. It is emotional and sobering and a difficult but very moving experience. I could not get away from the fact that some of my ancestors were slave owners, who thought that it was perfectly fine to own other people. Those ancestors were from the area of Virginia, just outside of D.C., which made it feel very present. The exhibits did a great job of showing how slavery is not just a story of the south, but is in many ways at the heart of our political, cultural, and economic roots.

The museum is also home to the Sweet Home Cafe, which was where we had a delicious lunch. The cafe is divided into several counters, where you can order African American food from various regions, including ‘The Agricultural South”, which had fried chicken, collard greens, and mac and cheese, among other things. This is what I had, and it was really delicious. I had not had collard greens before, and really enjoyed them. Other options are “The Creole Coast”, which included gumbo, shrimp and grits, BBQ chicken, catfish, and red beans and rice; “The North States”, which included pepper pot, baked beans, and Johnny cakes; and “The Western Range”, which included BBQ brisket, rainbow trout, black eyed peas, and cornbread. There were many other options, but that gives you a flavor of the different regions. I was torn between the fried chicken and the shrimp and grits, and decided on the fried chicken mainly because I was already in that line and didn’t want to stay over. It was delicious and I did not regret it. Also, I wanted to try collard greens, and that was the line for that.

If you should find yourself in D.C. with enough time on your hands to explore the Monuments and Museums, I highly recommend this one. It was a very moving, wonderful day. We were worn out and exhausted by the end of the day.