History Culture Healing Experiences of Pilgrimage to a Black Museum

Built on sacred land, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture has become a sacred space for many of its 14 million + visitors and vast digital audiences. This presentation will explore how journeys to and through the Museum have become defining facets of the visitor experience. In telling the unvarnished truth of history, contextualizing violence and trauma alongside joy and human achievement, the Museum nurtures the bodies, minds, and souls of its visitors. Through these journeys—literal and symbolic—the Museum has functioned as a place of pilgrimage for African Americans seeking healing connections to history and culture. Melanie Taylor is a Museum Specialist at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. There, she demonstrates the power and appeal of sports to foster positive social change through the Sports and Race Initiative’s programs and collaborative projects. Melanie holds a BA in Sport Management and an MA in Intercultural Studies.