What's up, South End?
In 2023, I went to Washington, D.C., for the first time. I was there for a journalism conference, but while I was in town, I visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
I'm an arts reporter at heart, and being in that institution was a powerful experience. I got to see pieces from one of my favorite artists, Kehinde Wiley (the artist who painted Obama's presidential portrait), up close and personal, and I saw some of the best Black art in the country.
But my biggest takeaway was the history. There was an expansive exhibit on slavery that included a slave cabin — not a replica, but the actual cabin. This is the first time (and only time) I've been in a museum witnessing people cry. It was overwhelming. Breathtaking.
And, unfortunately, it's an experience that our current presidential administration wants to end.
President Trump has decided the Smithsonian is "too woke." Last month, the president said the Smithsonian, which operates the National Museum of African American History and Culture, focuses too much on how bad slavery was and not enough about "success."
Somehow, the current presidential administration wants the Smithsonian to exhibit history in an "accurate, honest, and factual way," but it must do so without speaking negatively of our country's history with slavery, immigration, race, and sexuality.
It's hard to discuss an idea so absurd, but in the face of these recent statements from President Trump, I did what I do best. I reached out to an expert for some answers.
Brandon Bird is the president and CEO of the Northwest African American Museum. The Tacoma native has had the gig for just over a year now, and I spoke with him about the importance of preserving history, the danger of cultural erasure, and the evolving role of regional cultural institutions like NAAM.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
MD: Why is it important to preserve Black history?
BB: The telling of our nation's history would be incomplete if it did not factually and truthfully tell the Black experience within the arc of our nation's history. It would be inauthentic, first and foremost. And, I think it has so much to offer everyone. I think everyone benefits as a human being the more they learn the historical truths around the Black experience in the United States of America. It was recently said that maybe museums spend too much time talking about how bad slavery was. I thought about that statement a lot. I can't think of something that's worse that one human being can do to another than put them in bondage or slavery. Certainly there's things as bad, but I can't think of anything that is worse. And to fully appreciate how through generations, individuals have gone from experiencing some of the worst brutality in the history of human civilization, to then provide so many gifts to that same civilization — we would be diluting the impact and importance of that remarkableness if we did not accurately share the full history.
MD: What is the danger of cultural erasure?
BB: I feel it really lowers the ceiling of our country's potential. You know, on paper, we have great ideals. We've just struggled as a nation to live up to those ideals consistently, and if we were to start regressing on the sharing of our historical truths, good, bad, and otherwise, I feel we are doing a great disservice to becoming the country that is in alignment with those ideals. But what we're seeing now is an intensity to regress, or go backwards.
When we're learning more about other cultures and their contributions that we might not necessarily be as familiar with, and the perspectives that they're sharing, it is through that engagement that we learn more about ourselves. And we become more empathetic. Through empathy, we can become better communicators and better processors of information. That's where our common connections really start to gain strength. It's through empathy — not just awareness — but actually evolving thought, that our common humanity starts to shine.
MD: In this critical moment, with history and the arts under attack at the federal level, what role do regional institutions like NAAM play?
BB: The implied threat that nonprofit organizations can have their tax-exempt status removed is serious. And what has been done, and the threat of what could be done, to the Smithsonian museums is alarming. But for us, we are more motivated. But certainly you have to respond to your environment, and we understand we have to be very thoughtful around the language we use and our intent around anything that's outward facing. Because we recognize that from a national perspective, we and our peer organizations are under focus and scrutiny. So we acknowledge that, and it is in our consciousness.
With that said, we are going to remain honest and true to our mission. We believe that we serve in a central role to ensure that there is a home for authentic dialogue and engagement around the Black experience, not just within the Pacific Northwest, but beyond. We would not be doing our job if somehow we applied less effort in the advancement of that mission.
Emerald contributing reporter Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero is delivering the news you can use. South Seattle's 106 bus route, which runs from Renton to the Chinatown-International District, added 30 more trips per day on weekends. The route also increased fares.
Route 7 is still the most popular route in the South End, but the 106 serves 5,000 riders on an average weekday and is increasingly being used as a commuter route.
Should you click on Emerald contributing photojournalist Alex Garland's latest article for info on how beaver dams are connected to climate solutions? Yes. Should you click on it to see a few cute pics of animals? Yes again.
Alex has all the info you need on why beavers are "little engines of climate resilience," as Joe Mouser from Beavers Northwest (BNW) puts it. You can learn about beavers and how they connect communities to climate solutions in Alex's article.
Mike Davis is the newsletter editor and Voices editor at the South Seattle Emerald. Born and raised in Seattle's South End, Mike is a longtime journalist who's covered everything from arts and culture to sports to politics.
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