Susan Corcoran

"The African American museum movement began in people's living rooms," says Dr. John W. Franklin, Senior Manager of the Office of External Affairs at the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian. He was in Richmond for two days at the invitation of Hope in the Cities to address a variety of audiences at the Library of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Armstrong High School and eager young students at the Boys & Girls Club. September 24, 2016 will see the historic opening of the new museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC. President Obama will cut the ribbon to open the doors to the public and commence a week-long celebration. It has taken decades to realize this dream and is the culmination of the work of many communities who have begun to acknowledge and heal their own painful history. The museum will be a place where everyone can explore the story of America through the lens of the African American experience.  
 

I'm a Richmond native, born and raised on the Northside. As soon as I was able, I moved away for about ten years. Then I returned to pursue graduate education a little more than ten years ago. When I returned, I recalled growing up feeling like there was a secret people knew, but no one would talk about. My grandparents lived into their nineties. Neither would talk much about what it was like living here in Richmond. However, my engagement through Hope in the Cities and "Unpacking the Census" shed light on that hidden history. 

There is a familiar quote that admonishes us that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. But simply remembering the past does not guarantee we won't be condemned. Nor does it ensure we won't repeat it.

We can reminisce about a half-hidden past with rose-colored glasses and become stagnant, gazing into days that were good for some at the expense of others. We can look back on a dreadful past with fear and trepidation, becoming paralyzed, unable to move beyond its tragedies. And we can dwell on an unjust past with anger and become polarized, unable to trust each other.