Smithsonian museums and art galleries in Washington D.C. and New York City will soon be open to the public thanks to staggered reopening dates and timed entry passes. Here s a look at what s opening when and everything else you ll need to know to plan your visit.
Colonialism and looted treasures from Nigeria The Punch
Published 18 May 2021
You may recall in your African History class about how the British came and conquered the Dark African continent. I still remember my reading of the masterpiece on Africa by Walter Rodney, How Europe underdeveloped Africa. For me, it is a vivid reminder of the Europeans’ exploitation of and the atrocities committed in the African countries including Nigeria and stealing of its natural, economic and cultural resources during the colonial era.
For example, in the cultural sphere in Nigeria, the British colonial government made and provided a conducive environment for its citizens to rob and steal many rare ancient artworks and sculptures from Nigeria in the 1600s. It was no secret that the British colonial government directly or indirectly aided and abetted the looted treasures, many of which are found in many museums in Great Britain, Germany and the United States.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The National Mall in Washington, D.C., took a step closer to normalcy today. Four Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art reopened to the public. Millions of people visit the free museums in a typical year to see their collections of important objects from American history and culture. NPR s Elizabeth Blair has more.
ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE: As soon as free passes to the Smithsonian s National Museum of African American History and Culture were available, Allyson Carpenter was ready.
ALLYSON CARPENTER: And I called. I had them on the phone. I had them on the internet. And so I just wanted to make sure I was going to get passes cause I ve been through this before.
May 15, 2021 Share
Washington’s famed Smithsonian Museums began to reopen Friday after being closed to the public since November due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the museums reopening Friday was the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and prior to its re-opening to the public, First lady Jill Biden toured some of the exhibits and spoke to museum staff.
Her visit was designed to promote the reopening, as well as to highlight how vaccinated Americans can start returning to some of the pre-pandemic norms.
One day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance to say that those who are fully vaccinated do not need face coverings in most situations, Biden told reporters, “It felt so good to be outside and have our masks off.” Biden followed museum guidelines and wore her mask during the tour.
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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo unequivocally stated on Wednesday her commitment to the recovery of the U.S. travel and tourism industry, a powerful sign of support from a member of President Biden’s cabinet.
The commerce secretary made her remarks at a rally hosted by Destination DC the city’s destination marketing organization to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week.
“Supporting the travel and tourism industry is one of my top priorities,” Raimondo said in a streamed message, noting that she had witnessed, as former governor of tourism-dependent Rhode Island, how the pandemic had especially hurt workers and businesses in this sector.