African-American history 'is not separate': Obama inaugurates Smithsonian's new addition

Washington: President Barack Obama heralded on Saturday the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, an institution dedicated to the many threads of black suffering and triumph. The first black president of the United States cut the ribbon to inaugurate the striking 37,000-square-meter bronze-clad edifice before thousands of spectators gathered in the nation’s capital to witness the historic opening. “Beyond the majesty of the building, what makes this occasion so special is the larger story it contains,” said Obama — just a few months before he leaves office — at the star-studded public ceremony that included the likes of Stevie Wonder and Oprah Winfrey. [caption id=“attachment_3019386” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  President Barack Obama wipes a tear from his cheek while speaking at the dedication ceremony for the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall AP[/caption] “African-American history is not somehow separate from our larger American story. It’s not the underside of the American story,” he said. “It is central to the American story.” The Smithsonian’s 19th and latest addition to its sprawling museum and research complex is the first national museum tasked with documenting the uncomfortable truths of the country’s systematic oppression of black people, while also honoring the integral role of African-American culture. “A clear-eyed view of history can make us uncomfortable,” Obama said. “It is precisely of that discomfort that we learn and grow and harness our collective power to make this nation more perfect. That’s the American story that this museum tells.” Guests of honor on stage included four generations of a black family called the Bonners, led by 99-year-old great-grandmother Ruth, the daughter of a slave who went on to graduate from medical school. After Obama declared the museum “open to the world,” it was she — stooped in stature but smiling broadly — who tugged on a rope to ring an antique bell from an historic black church, sealing the inauguration. “I feel a sense of pride and a sense of humbleness because of all the sacrifices that so many people made to make this happen,” said audience member Karmello Colman, who trekked halfway across the country for the ceremony from Kansas City, Missouri. “I feel honored because it is highlighting the accomplishments of my ancestors, who were probably slaves, and those of so many others.”