New Washington Museum Celebrates African American History
Alan Karchmer; Artifacts courtesy of Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History and Culture
Automotive manufacturer Toyota helps honor a century of effort to capture American culture, first started by black veterans of the Civil War to civil rights activists today. Toyota provided support as a Founding Donor and Grand Opening Sponsor for a new national museum, which preserves and displays more than 36,000 precious artifacts of U.S. history.
Opened September 2016 in the District of Columbia, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will provide a better understanding of how the African American experience helped shape the nation’s existing culture.
“Toyota is proud to be a partner in preserving the priceless artifacts of African American history and culture that convey a compelling story of determination, faith, resilience and achievement,” said Latondra Newton, group vice president of social innovation and chief diversity officer, Toyota. “This will become a lasting landmark of the rich history of the African American experience for generations.”
Toyota has underwritten a special ‘Century in the Making: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture’ exhibition that has recorded major milestones over the last 100 years, beginning with a 1916 letter from the National Memorial Association to U. S. President Woodrow Wilson.
In addition to historic preservation, Toyota and the museum share a commitment to reduce energy usage and conserve water. The museum has numerous environmental features, including a green roof, water reuse system and use of natural daylight using the building’s exterior corona.
“We embrace not only what the museum’s designers and curators have achieved in building this historic treasure, we applaud their foresight to enrich our lives and protect our environment with this sustainable museum,” said Newton.
The building is expected to achieve LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest level of any museum on the mall.
