Opinion
Op-Ed: New Museum Is a Stunning Achievement
Demonstrations continue in Charlotte, N.C., and protests have spread to Atlanta and elsewhere, sparked most recently by the police killing of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Okla., and Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte.
Against that backdrop, I joined thousands for the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the mall in Washington, D.C.
The museum is a stunning achievement. It does not blink at our nation’s history, nearly 400 years since the first slave ship came to our land. But it is not a story of despair and suffering.
It tells a story of transcendence, of injustices righted, of people — Black and white, some famous and most unknown — who sacrificed and built, marched and protested, prayed and sang to make America better.
What the museum does, fundamentally, is change our sense of America’s narrative. It reveals that African-Americans are not at the bottom of America but part of its foundation, not parasites but central to the host.
We are not debtors to America, but creditors. And with that recognition, our angle of vision changes, we are empowered by the knowledge of our past.
As the poet Sonia Sanchez put it in an interview with the Washington Post: “The great thing about it is that we came out of slavery and we built. And we build and we build, and that’s what we’ve done — in spite of all kinds of terrible things that have happened to us, we’ve built.
“We built churches and schools, and we built homes, and we said we’re here now, you’ve brought us here. We are a part of this great American landscape, and you are going to remember us. You’re going to remember us when you come to this museum.”
As President Barack Obama put it at the opening ceremony: “African-American history is not somehow separate from our larger American story. It is not the underside of the American story. It is central to the American story.”
Former president George W. Bush signed the legislation that authorized building the museum. His wife, Laura, sits on its board and dedicated hours and energy to bring it to fruition.
As the opening ceremony, Bush captured the museum’s importance. First, “It shows our commitment to truth. A great nation does not hide its history.” Second, it shows “America’s capacity to change.”
The founders summoned us to a high standard — that “all men (and women) are created equal” — and gave us democratic liberties to struggle and create a “more perfect union.”
Third, Bush noted, the museum showcases triumph and success, the talent and contributions of extraordinary Americans. From Martin Luther King to the great jurist Thurgood Marshall, from Chuck Berry and Muhammad Ali to Aretha Franklin and Rosa Parks.
The museum grounds us in our history. It reminds us that slavery ended barely more than 150 years ago, the span of two long lives.
We got the right to vote and ended legal apartheid within my own lifetime. We still deal with the economic and human costs of those injustices. Not surprisingly, we have still a long way to go to fulfill our own ideals.
And the museum reminds us that won’t happen unless people demand the change. Those demonstrators in Charlotte and Atlanta, the Black Lives Matter movement and the Dreamers demanding immigration reform are part of a long and honored tradition of citizens of conscience standing up, and making America better.
The museum will not be a passive spectator site. It will revive efforts to create a national day for remembrance of slavery.
It should renew the drive to make lynching a federal crime. It should inspire the efforts to reform our criminal justice system, to offer equal opportunity to all. America’s great strength is to achieve triumph from tragedy, to find strength in differences, to contain multitudes.
The demand for justice is rising once more. The need is clear; the call compelling.
And as this museum reminds us, change is possible if citizens of conscience stand up.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025
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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

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OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care
One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

By Rhonda M. Smith, Special to California Black Media Partners
Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”
That moment really hit hard for me. As a Black woman, I’ve lived through enough election cycles to recognize how often uncertainty, misinformation, or political apathy keep people from voting, especially Black voters whose voices are historically left out of the conversation and whose health, economic security, and opportunities are directly impacted by the individual elected to office, and the legislative branches and political parties that push forth their agenda.
That conversation with the Lyft driver reflects a troubling surge in fear-driven politics across our country. We’ve seen White House executive orders gut federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable populations and policies that systematically exclude or harm Black and underserved communities.
One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.
Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, doesn’t just cover care. It protects individuals and families from medical debt, keeps rural hospitals open, creates jobs, and helps our communities thrive. Simply put; Medicaid is a lifeline for 1 in 5 Black Americans. For many, it’s the only thing standing between them and a medical emergency they can’t afford, especially with the skyrocketing costs of health care. The proposed cuts mean up to 7.2 million Black Americans could lose their healthcare coverage, making it harder for them to receive timely, life-saving care. Cuts to Medicaid would also result in fewer prenatal visits, delayed cancer screenings, unfilled prescriptions, and closures of community clinics. When healthcare is inaccessible or unaffordable, it doesn’t just harm individuals, it weakens entire communities and widens inequities.
The reality is Black Americans already face disproportionately higher rates of poorer health outcomes. Our life expectancy is nearly five years shorter in comparison to White Americans. Black pregnant people are 3.6 times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than their white counterparts.
These policies don’t happen in a vacuum. They are determined by who holds power and who shows up to vote. Showing up amplifies our voices. Taking action and exercising our right to vote is how we express our power.
I urge you to start today. Call your representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and demand they protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal), the Affordable Care Act (Covered CA), and access to food assistance programs, maternal health resources, mental health services, and protect our basic freedoms and human rights. Stay informed, talk to your neighbors and register to vote.
About the Author
Rhonda M. Smith is the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians.
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