The Anacostia Community Museum is a Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...

 museum in the Anacostia

Anacostia

Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Its historic downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue It is the most famous neighborhood in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, after which the...

 neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, opened in 1967. Its focus is the national history and culture of African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

s, for presentation to scholars and to all visitors—domestic and international.

History

The Museum was established originally as the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum in the old Carver movie theater on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in 1967. It was the brainchild of S. Dillon Ripley

Sidney Dillon Ripley

Sidney Dillon Ripley was an American ornithologist and wildlife conservationist. He served as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1964-1984.-Biography:...

, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1964 to 1984.

Vision

The Anacostia Museum and Center gives special priority to the collection, protection, and preservation of materials that reflect the history and traditions of families, organizations, individuals, and communities.

Focus

The Museum and Center renovated its facility recently to focus on the collection, storage and study of artifacts. There is now an on-line academy that facilitates the organization's commitment to identify, study, preserve, and collect African-American historical materials.

The Academy

The Academy consists of people offering their expertise and sharing their insights on different subjects within the field of material culture. Collectors, preservers, scholars, and educators conduct virtual lectures, workshops, and demonstrations for the Museum's on-line visitors' enjoyment and education. The information presented within the Academy is designed to be used with the database of artifacts in the museum's permanent collection to foster thought about what role material culture plays in the African American historical and cultural experience.

See also

• List of museums focused on African Americans