This page is referenced by:

• 1 2018-10-18T17:27:25-07:00 Online Smithsonian Exhibit 17 structured_gallery 2018-10-18T18:24:54-07:00

  
  ​“Right from the Start” was the title given to the digitization program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. To better care for the collection, pay more attention to accessibility, and add to the depths of meaning throughout the historic collection, the Smithsonian’s National Museum embarked on digitizing the collection before opening. The museum opened on September 24, 2016. Since the 1930s activists had been pushing toward a national museum devoted to the history of African Americans. By digitizing the resources, they had, the museum was able give those interested in the complex history of African Americans, easier access to information they would not be able to behold otherwise.
  

  ​The purpose of the online exhibit is to give the general public access to the information and objects the museum has. While one might not be able the travel to the museum they can still have access to the information about African American History and Culture. They offer a lot of analysis on certain movements of activism in African American history like the Black Panther movement and Martin Luther King. There is a section on the culture exhibit as well and why the circular presentation of the exhibit is so experimental when it comes to explaining the diaspora of African American culture. The exhibit includes focuses on language, craftsmanship, art, and food. The website also has pictures of the objects on display in certain sections of the exhibits. The format of the website is fairly easy to navigate and the pictures on each collection section makes it easy to find exactly what you might be looking for. Overall, the digitization program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is very successful in its mission to draw attention to Black history. The Smithsonian’s project is able to offer a digital version of the African American history and cultural artifacts without the user having to actually go to the museum.