Smithsonian Museum Launches 'Talking About Race' Portal

Amid national conversations regarding race in the United States, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has launched an online portal to provide Americans with additional resources to both reflect on their own history with race and lead conversation about race. The portal provides targeted guidance for educators, parents or caregivers, and people committed to equity, as well as a multitude of resources delving into the history of race and racism.

In the newly released online portal called Talking About Race, NAAMHC writers explain, “Talking about race, although hard, is necessary. We are here to provide tools and guidance to empower your journey and inspire conversation.”

According to the release announcing the launch, the portal “provides digital tools, online exercises, video instructions, scholarly articles and more than 100 multi-media resources” to help individuals and communities discuss race and racism.

The homepage of the portal explains that talking about race starts with personal reflection and offers prompts to assist individuals in thinking about their own relationship with race. These questions include:

·       When were you first aware of your race?

·       What do you remember from childhood about how you made sense of human differences? What confused you?

·       What childhood experiences did you have with friends or adults who were different from you in some way?

·       How, if ever, did any adult give you help thinking about racial differences?

Next, the portal outlines why talking about race matters before offering individualized guidance to educators, parents or caregivers, and individuals committed to “making the world a more equitable and just place for all.” Each section includes tangible action items to help individuals navigate these conversations in their settings.

The portal also provides deep dives into specific topic areas such as bias, historical foundations of race, as well as social identities and systems of oppression. The portal includes a range of multimedia resources, including “What is Intersectionality?” and “RACE ≠ DNA: If Race Is a Social Construct, What's Up With DNA Ancestry Testing?"

The homepage concludes with a blurb answering the question: Why us, why now? To which it explains, “Since the opening of the museum, the number one question people ask us is how to talk about race. In 2014, we launched our signature program, “Let’s Talk! Teaching Race in the Classroom.” Every year we’ve learned, reflected, and refined the program content – always growing and striving to do better.”