Today, the birthday of President George Washington, marks an important day in American History, and not just because of the celebration of the birth of our first President.
We also saw today the groundbreaking on the National Mall in Washington DC of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, due to be opened to the public in 2015. President and Mrs. Obama and Laura Bush took part in the ceremonies, along with other dignitaries.
The museum construction, enacted by Congress in 2003, will create the 19th museum under the aegis of the Smithsonian Institution, and is long overdue.
About 19,000 artifacts so far have been gathered for this museum, which will cover African American history and culture from slavery thorough the Civil War and Reconstruction, the age of segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and modern times, including African American contributions to our culture, music, sports and every other area of American life.
This is a wonderful day, and everyone should look forward to this national contribution to our history, and recognition of the importance of African Americans to our history.