Travel Series - To See DC
Recent Visit to Washington D.C.
Back in June I took my sister Phoebe to Washington D.C. for her birthday. We were able to see a lot of great museums and monuments. The one location we weren't able to visit was the newly built African American Museum of History and Culture. I learned you had to have tickets to enter because it was still so new.
Fast-forward five months, I finally have tickets for the museum. The tickets go so fast that you have to order them months in advance. I missed October, but managed to get them for November. The weekends are the worst days to try and get tickets, so unfortunately Monday was the best available day. I got these tickets back in August there was plenty of time to prep ahead of time for the trip. In the beginning, there were four of us who playing on attending this trip, my mother, Phoebe, Izzy, and myself. To cover myself and others, I order 6 tickets and offered up the other two who ever wanted to join along. Although they would have to get there under their own means.
As the trip came closer and closer, Phoebe dropped out from the trip at least a month or so before the trip. My mother dropped out the day before the trip. I hate that she did because I wanted her to experience this with me as this would have been my last trip to take with her before I transferred to Los Angeles. She had some things very important to take care of first. To fill in the void from the two that wasn't able to make it, I asked a coworker if he and his wife would be able to join Izzy and I. I know it was last minute, so I really wasn't expecting an answer.
Monday the 13th arrives and it's just Izzy and I are on our educational trip to Washington D.C. We arrived and first thing first food. After a short break, we made our way to the National Mall. As it was Izzy's first time in D.C., she was gleaming with excitement with everything around us. Our first stop was the National Gallery of Art West building. Upon entering we walked right to an exhibit that was showcasing Vermeer and other masters of genre painting. Seems like a lot of Dutch artist. I wasn't a fan. I felt the imagery was bland and repetitive, so I was quickly bored with it. We continued to walk around view a lot of the art, we seen student tour groups which I was happy to see. It's nice to see children introduced to art at such a young age. We also learned that artist are allowed to come in replicate any piece of art just as long as it is not the same size as the original piece.
Next we went back over the Museum of Nature History. First thing I did was ask about the Dinosaur exhibit only to learn that dinosaurs will not be live til 2019. Disappointed I was!! We continue to walk around looking at the different exhibits. We looked at mammal life, aquatic life and few dinosaurs We spent another 45 minutes or so just wondering around before we headed up the street to our last spot of the day.
What are you looking at?
Ant eater with child and eating in an ant hole
NMAAHC
Washington D.C. National Mall
Now off to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Our time was scheduled for 1:30 pm but it didn't matter because we arrived early and was still let in. They didn't even check the time on the ticket, just scanned and moved on. As we walked in after the metal detectors and scanners we were in awe at the design and a layout of the building. We checked out some the contributors to the museum and there were a lot of donations along the names were Oprah Winfrey (one of the largest donors) and Tyler Perry, Best of America, Bill Gates Foundation, and Microsoft just to name a few. We went to the infomation desk to grab a map of the museum, and the worker told us to start with the 1400's the start of the slave trade and how it started.
I would like to forewarn. This exhibit will pull on every emotion possible, as I overheard an employee state that a woman was crying due to its nature. We walked through and was able to read as mush as possible. It was so crowded that moving was like driving on the 5 in LA or 75 in ATL. Everything about what happened was just so much to talk in for a first time visit. As we continued we seen parts of a slave ship that was found, some the largest contributors to the slave trade (Portugal with 5.5 million). As we moved to the years, especially in the south, blacks were considers property of war and were forced to stay with their slave masters. Fast forward to the 1960's with the women of that era who put themselves in harm way to not protect their fellow black men but also for women rights. The hardship they endured as always been on equal ground.
The rise of the KKK
A book written by the original founders
There is so much to talk about that this blog post would be come a miniseries. The best way to understand the past of the black community is to make this visit. This museum answers a lot of questions that most needed answered. When visiting, schedule your time wisely. Just like many of the museums, and thousands of exhibits in that area. This is one of the places you will spend the entire day exploring the history of African Americans. You will not be disappointed with this visit.
Video History
Visitor's are watch a video on the south with an old guard tower in the background
On our way back to the airport, I made a huge blunder and got on the wrong train heading the opposite direction. I what should have took 30 mins to get back took us an hour to get back. We made it back in time, and the line to security wasn't too bad at all. We made it through and as soon as we got to the gate it was already time to board. Talk about cutting it close.
Key note to my ladies who would love or would love to travel. Wear comfortable shoes!! It's one thing to look sexy, cute or whatever it might be, but having swollen feet and ankles is not the route you want to take. Izzy learned this lesson twice. First in Las Vegas for New Year and now in Washington D.C. So ladies be sexy, but comfortable.
Travel - Washington D.C.
June 23, two days after my sister Phoebe birthday. We were suppose to be on a plane heading to Las Vegas for a day trip. As there was a blunder with the tickets, the trip was a bust. Fast forward June 26, now we are up early finally going on our day trip. It's not to Las Vegas though, we were flying to Washington D.C. for some cultural learning.
So we arrived at Reagan International airport, like always I searched ahead for transportation and the railway was the best way around.
Smile
Heading to National Mall
Department of Agriculture
When we arrived at the National Mall, the first thing we needed was food!! We asked and was directed to the agriculture federal building to the USDA cafeteria. We had just missed breakfast so we had to wait til lunch was ready. After lunch we were ready for our adventure around the National Mall. While there we are on a time limit on what to see and how long to spend at each museum. Our first stop was the Smithsonian Castle and S Dillion Ripley Center (even thought she got it confused with the Ripley Believe it or not museum).
While making our way thru the Ripley Center we enter the National Museum of African Art, and seen a lot of great conversational pieces from a mask and jewelry to a vision art called "Invocations" by Jim Chuchu.
After getting lost a little then finally coming back to the exit we started to head to the Air and Space Museum but was quickly deterred because of the long line to enter the build. So we began to head towards the National Gallery of Art and Museum of Natural History for some bones. While in the gallery of art I was able to study the lighting of Rembrandt a lot better than copies on the internet. Over at the Natural Museum we looked at the history of mankind, animals and a few dinosaurs, as the dinosaur exhibit was still under construction.
After all the walk we have been doing, we had a few more sites to visit, we made the decision to take the bus to the last stops. The last few sites was the MLK Memorial, WWII Memorial, Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial.
As this trip was a fun one I was ready to make a return trip with family and friends. Only down side was that the African American Museum is sold out until October 2017. I highly recommend this for it's educational value that you will receive.
Mahogany @ the Museum V
A few weeks ago I attended my first poetry event that took place in Midtown Detroit at the Charles H. Wright Museum. The event was brought about by Joel Fluent Greene, who wanted to keep the feel of the Mahogany Cafe where many poets and performers showcased their talents.
I found out about this event through a Phillly that I've been following for years. She is part of Idle Warship with Talib Kweli, she goes by the name Res. From the her twitter account, I discover she was coming to Detroit to perform.
As the shoe started a little late, Joel Fluent Greene (Fluent) did a great job a host as well as perform some of his poetry from the book that he was selling. Along with his poetry, he did few freestyle raps with some of the other performers that was there as well.
The first to perform was saxophoist Mike Monford. Instead of having his sons perform, he performed with students from a Detroit school of Performing Arts. The students ranged from 10th to 12th grade. The instruments they played were the saxophone, drums. keyboard, and guitar. They all did a wonder job and played well in front of the crowd.
Next up was Thomas Williams, who was very soulful and deliverant in the words he spoke to uplift those around him. He had a very soulful voice to to match as well. Thomas said he was nervous, but you can never tell that he was.
Something that was different for me was when African percussionist Sowande A. Keita. What he did was a little different he involved the audience to pronounce certain Afican words that went along with names of the drums he was playing. He was telling everyone that the drums worked in conjuction with each other.
Fresh of the Steve Harvey show, we had Dr. Eddie M. Conner Jr. He was telling us his life story of how he over came adversity of being diagnosed with a deadly disease before the age of 20. Along with his life story, he spoke with audience about overcoming life problems and how to accept love amongst other things. Before he finished he gave a quick poem from his new book that is for that ladies to help them to mend a broken heart.
Next to the stage was LaShaun Phoenix Moore. She blessed us wih the way she aritistly delivers the poems she writes as so much emotion is delivered from the words she speaks. Also, one of her poems was dedicated to her and Fluent's close friend and poet, as well, who recently had passed some time before the event. In the poem you can how much she will be missed by those in the poetry community.
My mistake on the order. The act before Phoenix was singer/guitarist Kenny Watson. From the way he performed you can easily tell he was a soulful brother. A lot of his songs were for the ladies but they were songs that the brothers can sing to their ladies to tell them how much they love their ladies. An impromptu act was with Sowande made such a masterpiece. Being able to do something together without any rehersal takes true talent.
Last but not least is the beautiful songstress Res, who was the show closer. She performed some of her greatest hits that her fans will recongize. Songs such as Ice King had the crowd moving and singing along with her word for word. After giving a great show, she stayed longer to meet with fans, sign autographs, take pictures, and sale merch for those looking to buy something. For that reason, I became a bigger fan of Res. Also, Dr. Eddie Conner was selling his new book for people there, as well as Fluent whose book was filled with poems that he wrote and had published.
“There are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them.”
“I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.”