African-American Museums and the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity

Abstract

and as museums in the more traditional sense. They have always held a dual responsibility to tell the African-American story while at the same time telling a broader story. At the core of every black museum is the preservation, interpretation, and celebration of African-American history and culture. But American cannot be removed from the context without changing it entirely. AfricanAmerican museums-and other ethnic-specific institutions-provide opportunities for addressing this dual identity, an issue discussed at length in black literature, philosophy, and scholarship. Our ability to engage in any dialogue on the subject of identity is tempered by our need first to know our pre-American identity. People