Smithsonian Museum Curators Are Preserving Protest Signs For History
By Morgan Cook
June 12, 2020
Photo: Getty Images
Curators from several of Washington's Smithsonian Institutions, like the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History, recently took a trip to the White House to collect protest signs.
The curators took down signs that were strung along a fence in front of the White House in order to preserve a slice of American history. Curator Dwandalyn Ree told ABC News they are "telling the American story from the African American experience."
"We recognize the historical significance, we recognize the mood of the country, and it's very important to capture that," Ree added.
The White House security zone (yellow) is being dramatically expanded in the aftermath of recent protests over the police killing of George Floyd.
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) June 5, 2020
New fencing has walled off Lafayette Square (in red), and the Ellipse is now getting fencing (in orange). https://t.co/tcBWBigYQs pic.twitter.com/S8rNaB65Nq
Curators also collected signs from the Lafayette Square fence. They even took time to speak with protesters to better understand the stories behind their signs supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, along with protesting the death of George Floyd.
One thing's for certain, 2020 is shaping up to be a very historical year.
Read the full report on The New York Times.