A Great Day at the Musuem

By Professor Tiffany Banks

On Tuesday, September 30^th , students from my COMM 108: Foundations of Human Communication class set off to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C. This museum is the newest addition to the Smithsonian Institution and it is the “only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture” (NMAAHC, 2025). While I visited the museum several times previously, none of the field trip participants had been to this museum, or any Smithsonian Institution. Sharing this new experience with them was an honor!)

Once we arrived at the museum, we headed up the escalator to the second floor. There, we found our destination: “The Power of Place” exhibit. This exhibit is uniquely suited to help students complete the Self-concept Paper—a foundational assignment in COMM 108. In this assignment, students respond to the question “who are you?” and reflect on how their sense of self arises in communication with others. Students also reflect on the places that influence their self-concept. The “Power of place” offers several vignettes, each detailing the ways African-American communities developed unique culture and identity, illustrating the many ways people influence and are influenced by place.

Immediately upon entering the exhibit, students bolted to the center of the room. There, a large, rectangular table illuminated the space. Intuitively, students began manipulating the floating images on the screen, expanding, minimizing, and controlling them. This is called “The Place Table,” an interactive, multi-media screen that shows images and brief, handwritten stories about places. Each time students moved images on the table, a new image appeared–letters, maps, sketches, photos–telling stories about migration, displacement, community, and tradition. Students spent a significant amount of time at the table. One student shared that it was “most meaningful because it displays so much culture and history. I loved using it!” Another student noticed the interest of other museum goers, “watching younger African-American kids/teens explore the table and noticing the hint of awe behind their eyes, it made me so happy seeing these kids feel empowered.”

Later, we left the Place Table and perused several “place studies,” which depicted stories of communities who overcame unimaginable challenges. Of particular interest were Tulsa, Oklahoma and The Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana. My students and I were not alone in our interest. We were surprised to learn other museum “visitors” were also drawn to the story of The Angola Penitentiary. Standing within feet of us were two plain clothed and armed ICE agents!The agents stood silently with their arms crossed as they read about the prison plantation system of Angola. They did not look at us or engage us. Despite the presence of the agents, my students did not want to leave!

Overall, the field trip was a rich learning experience. Students reported “the most challenging part was reading about the laws passed that were meant to suppress the advancement of African-American society, the racism and hate in America is a very hard pill to swallow.” Students also reported hope and optimism, “The exhibit made me appreciate my background and history more. It made me more interested in learning the history of El Salvador, which is where my family is from.” Another student remarked that the trip “reinforces to be grateful for what I have and to not forget where I come from.” I look forward to bringing more classes to Smithsonian museums in future semesters.