A Changing America: Exploring Black Power Histories at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African American History and culture opened to great fanfare in September of 2016. Visitors have raved about the exhibitions and public programming, but a lesser known aspect of the museum is its role as a research institution. The Andrew Mellon Curatorial Fellowship provides an opportunity for emerging scholars to gain curatorial experience while furthering their own research agendas. Dr. Jocelyn Imani utilized this fellowship to continue her research on Black student activism while learning the ways in which the museum’s collection explores and expands the narratives and themes of Black power and social activism. This presentation will provide an overview of the curatorial work she did and how the experience of the museum enriched her scholarship.

During her fellowship, Imani worked with the curators of the inaugural exhibition A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond Drs. Michelle Wilkinson and Bill Pretzer. She provided research and other curatorial support for the exhibition and helped to accession items to the collection related to Black power and activism. One of her main research objectives was to investigate the ways that culture itself can be cited as a source for interpreting political ideology. She will discuss how material and visual culture are utilized at NMAAHC to enhance the visitors’ understanding of the Black Power movement.