(TriceEdneyWire.com) – During her speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, then First Lady Michelle Obama famously declared, “I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.”
Ten years later, an exhibit about to be unveiled for the first time on Sept. 30 at 10 am at the newly renovated African American Civil War Museum on historic U Street in Northwest Washington, D.C. will tell the rest of that story. “From Slavery to the White House” will tell how Michelle Obama’s formerly enslaved forefathers fought in the Civil War for the freedom of all of America’s enslaved.
And it will tell how America was transformed “from a slaveocracy to a democracy,” as described by Dr. Frank Smith, executive director and founder of the Museum and the Memorial across the street. The Museum is located at 1925 Vermont Ave. NW in DC’s Shaw neighborhood at 10th and U Streets.
“People will come in here. They will see the Michelle Obama feature exhibit. They will see freedom. And they will see enslavement,” says Smith.
But that is not all they will see. The main exhibit, “Glorious March to Liberty: Civil War to Civil Rights”, tells the triumphant story of enslaved Black people who took their own destiny into their hands by taking up arms to fight for their own freedom during the Civil War.
It is a refreshed exhibit in the museum, which has been visited by about 2 million people over 10-plus years, says Dawn Chitty, educational director at the Museum. “It will be seen in a light it has not been seen before.” An additional 200 new artifacts have also been added, she said.
Dr. Smith, a former member of the D.C. City Council, describes the story behind his vision.
“When the Civil War started, African-Americans had no pathway to citizenship in the United States. We were defined in the Constitution as being chattel slaves. And every court decision from that point up to the Civil War reinforced our position and our status in society. We don’t get a chance to fight for our freedom until Lincoln gets himself caught up in a war that he can’t win without doing something about slavery,” Smith told the audience at the groundbreaking seven years ago in 2019. “And so, he ended up enlisting two hundred thousand Blacks in the Union Army. The nation paid no attention to these soldiers until we built a monument to them.”
Smith sees the Michelle Obama exhibit as the perfect illustration to show just how far Blacks have come since they were brought to this country. Pointing to the lines on the floor near the front entrance of the building, he told a reporter, “These lines will take you to different parts of her life, starting here.”
From her humble beginnings, growing up with her parents and brother on the South Side of Chicago, to her graduation from Harvard University Law School, to her marriage to and family with America’s 44th President Barack Obama, the exhibit tells the story that started with freedom fighters Ceasar Cohen and Jerry Sutton.
Cohen, her great-great grandfather, served in the 128th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) of the Union Army, and Sutton, the stepfather of her great grandmother, served in the USCT 55th Regiment.
“We have 209,000 names of soldiers on that wall out there,” Smith said, gesturing toward the Memorial Wall across the street with names of the 209,145 former slaves and Black people who fought in the Union Army. “It’s just a lot of names until you find one of them that tells the whole story. Those are probably the most famous names out there – her family. And it’s a great story. It’s exciting to people because everybody knows how this is going to end. It’s going to end in the White House.”
It is the ultimate vision of Dr. Smith, who founded the museum and memorial 34 years ago in a building next door to where it now stands.
“Our former Ward 1 Councilmember is making sure that we not only grow as a city, but that we grow together as a city and that we preserve the rich history that we’ve been blessed with. And this Memorial is certainly a testament and a commitment to how we do that for our city and for our nation,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the 2019 groundbreaking of the $8 million expansion and renovation.
Much has happened since that day; including muddy political waters, budget shortfalls and the COVID pandemic, all of which slowed down the construction. But gradually and consistently the project has progressed.
On Sept. 22 last year, as the development continued, hundreds gathered to witness the unveiling and dedication of a 600-pound, six-foot-tall bronze statue of President Abraham Lincoln seated and signing the Emancipation Proclamation outside the front steps of the museum. The Lincoln statue faces across the street where another bronze statue is located, featuring three Black soldiers standing guard, encircled by the Memorial Wall. The scene tells a victorious story of a people who literally fought their way out of enslavement.
The setting has brought hope to U Street, once a thriving business community, which became crime-ridden and dilapidated in the 1970s. Bordered by Howard University and anchored by restaurants, such as the historic Ben’s Chili Bowl, Smith’s vision; including the renovation of the museum, has drawn new development to the area.
As Howard students, school children from DC, local residents and tourists from across the country and around the world view the exhibits, Smith believes the museum will not only educate, but inspire.
“When we talk and think about slavery, we always think of a lot of suffering and a lot of crying, a lot of beatings and a lot of hard work, which it was indeed all of those things – no question about it,” Smith says. “But America is full of all kinds. We don’t have any control over where we were born and whether we are black or white. But of course, we have some control over our lives. And I think this, the Michelle Obama story, is about two [soldiers] who took control of their lives and did something great for themselves and for this country.”
