The National Museum of African American History and Culture, the newest Smithsonian museum, opened to the public in Washington, D.C. on Saturday morning. President Barack Obama participated in the opening ceremony, which was attended by thousands and paired with a three-day festival of African-American cuisine and culture on the National Mall. In comments at a reception honoring the museum Friday night, Obama referenced high-profile police misconduct cases involving black Americans. “My hope is that as people are seeing what’s happened in Tulsa or Charlotte on television,” he said, a visit to the museum will help them to say, “I understand. I sympathize. I empathize. I can see why folks might feel angry, and I wanna be part of the solution.”
A great and moving history of the new Smithsonian museum commemorating African-American history https://t.co/0qHGqU5V62
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) September 24, 2016