National Museum of African American History and Culture Marks 10th Anniversary The National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates its 10th anniversary with a weekend of events, as its acting director affirms the museum’s mission remains unchanged. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington marks the 10-year anniversary of its opening on Thursday with a weekend of celebrations. The events begin with a full museum activation on Thursday and extend through the rest of the weekend at the museum’s National Mall home and at The Wharf along the historic Washington Channel of the Potomac River. Anniversary Theme and Leadership VisionThe anniversary is built around the theme Welcome Home. Our Legacy Continues, said Shanita Brackett, the museum’s acting director. She said the museum is planning its next 10, and frankly 20 years of exhibitions right now.The celebrations include the singing of Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday, giving the event the flavor of a down-home family reunion. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, the museum’s founding director, will headline a discussion titled Understanding America to commemorate the anniversary.The museum, affectionately called the Blacksonian by its most committed visitors and patrons, has faced outright hostility from President Donald Trump’s administration. The administration has sought to change a range of museums and landmarks supported by the federal government.Federal Pressure and Museum IndependenceThe Interior Department has removed dozens of displays from national monuments that highlighted the history of social activists, people of color, women and LGBTQ people, among others. An order instructed federal officials to work with Congress to bar the Smithsonian from using federal funding for exhibits that allegedly degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law.But the Smithsonian’s leadership, which responds to a board that includes lawmakers from both parties, private donors and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, says they have continued their work without interference. We have not changed any exhibitions. We haven’t changed our language. We know that what we do is steeped in scholarship, Brackett said of the African American museum.The Smithsonian is supported by a mix of federal and private funding. The institution’s significant funding and complex governance structure have made it difficult for the administration to directly influence its content, as opposed to entities maintained directly by the executive branch.That hasn’t stopped an outpouring of concern from supporters of the African American museum’s mission in response to any curatorial changes the museum has made over the last two years. Administration officials have also expressed frustration at the Smithsonian’s resistance and have outlined new measures.Trump, a Republican, has ordered officials to warn visitors they may experience exhibits with an inaccurate portrait of American history. Brackett said her museum is confident they can continue with the museum’s original vision to capture and share the unvarnished truth of African American history and culture.We know that Black history is a part of American history, and it’s our job to ensure that everyone who comes to this museum, who engages in our programming, who visits us online, understands exactly how all of this evolved, how the contributions of African Americans have advanced this country, and that’s really what people walk away with, she said.Key Exhibits and Historical ContextSome visitors had expressed fears that exhibits, such as the casket of Emmett Till and a Greensboro lunch counter housed at the neighboring American History Museum, may have been altered to appease the administration’s concerns. Brackett was clear: Nothing has changed.The idea of a landmark recognizing the contributions of African Americans on the National Mall goes back more than a century. The museum opened in 2016 and has since become a major cultural institution.The anniversary celebrations come as the museum continues to face political pressure, but its leadership remains committed to its mission. The events this weekend aim to honor the museum’s legacy and look ahead to its future.