ELLEN:
ELLEN: TODAY WE ARE FOCUSING ON THE PLACES THAT HAD A PROFOUND
IMPACT ON BLACK HISTORY.
WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE POWER OF
PLACE EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL
MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY AND CULTURE, WITH THE
CURATOR.
CURATOR.
CURATOR. PAUL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
FOR "GREAT DAY WASHINGTON."
I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE ARE
WISHING WE COULD BE TOGETHER
LIKE WE WERE BEFORE, BUT YOU
GUYS ARE STILL WORKING AT THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSEUM OF
HISTORY AND CULTURE.
WHAT IS THE POWER OF PLACE, FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO
EXPERIENCE IT?
EXPERIENCE IT? >> THE POWER OF PLACE IS A THE
MEDIC EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL
MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY AND CULTURE -- IS A
THEMATIC EXHIBITION AT THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND
CULTURE.
CULTURE.
CULTURE. STORIES FROM THE PLACES FROM
WHICH THEY COME.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE COME TO THE
NATIONAL MALL, AND THEY LOOK TO
FIND A PIECE OF THEMSELVES, AS
WELL AS TO FIND THOSE TREASURES
THEY SEE ON THE LANDSCAPE, THE
MEMORIALS, THE MUSEUMS.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, NORTH,
SOUTH, EAST AND WEST.
THAT IS WHAT INSPIRED THIS.
BUT AS WE GET INTO THE
EXHIBITION AND COLLECT FROM
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION,
WE REALIZE THAT PLACE IS MUCH
MORE THAN JUST GEOGRAPHY.
PLACE IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST
REGION.
REGION.
REGION. PLACE IS ABOUT COMMUNITY AND
CULTURE AND MEMORY.
THAT IS EVEN MORE SO TRUE, IN
OUR CURRENT STATE IN THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. WE ARE OFTEN THINKING ABOUT THE
PLACES WE CAN'T GET TO, OR THE
PLACES THAT WE ARE STUCK INSIDE
OF, OR THE WAY IN WHICH PLACE IS
ABOUT MEMORIES.
ABOUT MEMORIES. SOMETIMES THOSE OLD PHOTOGRAPH
ALBUMS YOU PULL OUT AND LOOK AT.
PICTURES OF YOUR SUMMER
VACATION, OR THE PLACES THAT YOU
WENT TO, OR WHERE YOUR ANCESTORS
ARE FROM.
ARE FROM.
ARE FROM. THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF
THE FLAVOR OF WHAT WE WANTED TO
CONVEY, IN THE POWER OF PLACE.
ELLEN: IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL OF
THESE STORIES ARE ANCHORED
TOGETHER WITH HIS HOMETOWN HUB.
EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT.
IS THAT A CENTRAL PART IN THE
EXHIBITION?
EXHIBITION? >> THE HOMETOWN HUB IS A CENTRAL
GATHERING PART.
GATHERING PART. THE EXHIBITION IS DRIVEN BY
THESE 10 BUILT OUT STORIES,
STORIES ABOUT THE BRONX IN THE
1970'S AND THE BIRTH OF HIP-HOP.
STORIES ABOUT TULSA IN THE
1920'S, AND THE RACE MASSACRE
AND THE RESILIENCE OF THE BLACK
COMMUNITY IN RESPONSE TO IT.
STORIES ABOUT MARTHA'S VINEYARD
AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEISURE
COMMUNITIES.
COMMUNITIES. BIG STORIES ABOUT RICE FIELDS,
STORIES ABOUT A HAT SHOP IN
PHILADELPHIA.
PHILADELPHIA. THE HOMETOWN HUB PROVIDES A
VENUE FOR THOSE STORIES TO COME
TOGETHER, AND TO PROVIDE A
PLATFORM FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE
THEIR OWN HOME STORIES
DIGITALLY.
DIGITALLY.
THEIR
THEIR OWN
THEIR OWN PLACE STORIES, DIGITALLY.
DIGITALLY. WE INVITE PEOPLE TO SEND IN
IMAGES AND STORIES, ABOUT THEIR
HOMEPLACE.
HOMEPLACE. ELLEN: IT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE AND
LIKE IT IS ALWAYS UPDATING AND
CHANGING.
CHANGING.
CHANGING. >> THIS IS A DIGITAL
INTERACTIVE.
INTERACTIVE. IT IS MEANT TO BRING PEOPLE
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. THE MUSEUM IS TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT HOW WE RETROFIT AND HOW WE
ADAPT THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE,
TO ONE WHERE PEOPLE ARE HOME.
WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE OPTIONS
FOR HOW THAT CAN BE MANED
MEANINGFUL AND AVERY -- THAT CAN
BE MADE MEANINGFUL AND EMERGED
-- IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
ELLEN: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TODAY, PAUL.
TODAY, PAUL. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
>> IT IS MY PLEASURE.
ELLEN: YOU CAN MAKE A POINT TO
VISIT WHEN THE MUSEUM OPENS
AGAIN AND IN THE MEANTIME,