Exploring the American Minority Experience in Washington, DC: Day Four (Last Day)

National Museum of African American History and Culture, DC

Thursday was our last day in Washington DC for project week. It has been an amazing, insightful week learning about the minority experience. We started the day off with a tour of two amazing museums: The recently opened National Museum of African American History and Culture and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The tickets for the National Museum of African American History and Culture were very difficult to obtain, but our group leaders were kind enough to wake up at 6:30 am to buy the tickets and were lucky enough to get four of them for the students  that really wanted to see the museum. 

Group picture in front of the White House

Tipis next to the Washington Monument--part of a protest against the construction of the DAPL

Both Museum's incredible exhibits could have had us there the entire day, but we had to get to a meeting with New Hampton Alumni, Judge Thomas Motley and DC Prosecutor Leutrell Osborne II. On the way to the meeting we were able to witness and interact with Native Americans protesting on the National Mall near the Washington Monument.The meeting with Judge Motley was great; we talked to him and his Nephew, Leutrell Osborne II, about their experiences at New Hampton and their individual paths to success as minorities in America. Later in the evening, we had a chance to meet with Phil's mother and her good friend Terry. Terry shared challenges of being the youngest of 7 kids with brothers and sisters that were involved in criminal activity. He gave powerful advice to many students about how deal with challenges of their own and finished off with humorous yet important stories of instances where he was a victim of racism in Washington D.C. 

Inside the Holocaust Museum, DC