MEMORY !
An interview with Mabel Wilson , IRAAS Senior Fellow and Nancy and George E . Rupp Professor at Columbia ’ s Graduate School of Architecture , Planning and Preservation , to discuss her latest book , Begin with the Past , and how she continues to investigate space , politics and cultural memory
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us and congratulations on the success of Begin with the Past ( Smithsonian Books 2016 ), which discusses how the National Museum of African American History and Culture ( NMAAHC ) found its place in the nation ’ s collective memory and on its public commons . Can you let our readers know how you become involved in the creation of the museum and ultimately , write Begin with the Past ? MW : I initially became i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e N M A A H C t h r o u g h participating in one of the t e a m s t h a t s u b m i t t e d
designs for the museum in 2009 . Although our design wasn ’ t chosen , we received a nice write-up in the Washington Post . Lonnie Bunch , founding director of the NMAAHC was familiar with my book Negro Building ( University of California Press 2012 ), w h i c h e x a m i n e d h o w w o r l d ’ s f a i r s a n d Emancipation expositions served as counterpublic spheres created for and by African Americans . This history , which began in 1895 at the Cotton States a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l Exposition , ended in 1963 with the rise of the Black Museum Movement . The Black Museum Movement , through citing the absence o f A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a t t h e Smithsonian , called for displays of Black history and culture to remain in the hands of Black organized and operated museums . Part of the Black Museum Movement , is folded into
the history of what later becomes the NMAAHC . To create the Museum we see today , Lonnie Bunch had to build a team , create and execute a vision for the
museum , find the physical location , and raise $ 270 million needed to open the s p a c e . A n d s i n c e t h e Smithsonian had very few items in their collection , he had to travel across the globe gathering objects to fill the space . It was a daunting task , but Bunch ’ s tenacity and optimism led to the creation of the largest collection of African-