Memorializing Shared Slave Heritage and Guiding Present-Day Initiatives – A Project For Angola

In December, Meridian International Center welcomed 3 visitors from Angola on a project titled Slavery Museums Preserving History & Guiding Present Day Initiatives. The visitors represented the Angola Ministry of Culture and the Angolan National Museum of Slavery. Participants gained more knowledge about museum management, artifact restoration as well as a deepened interest in having a collaboration between the United States and Angola to build a historical mosaic of the events related to the slave trade, as well as trace the enslaved populations’ exit from African countries up to their arrival to the United States. While in Washington, DC the visitors were hosted by curators from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

After Washington, DC, the participants traveled to Charleston, SC and New York City, New York. Programming highlights from Charleston included meetings with the Chief Curator from the International African American Museum and the Director of the Halsey Institute for Contemporary Art.  In New York City the participants had the opportunity to learn about the New York State Slavery Records launched by John Jay College, and a tour of the African Burial Ground.

“The cultural and historical exchange between the United States and Angola will help both our countries to fill the gaps on facts regarding slave trade history.  This was a very well organized program. On behalf of the three of us, I would like to thank the State Department and all the other agencies for this amazing program, put together on such short notice” – IVLP Participant

“I had no idea that there was so much preservation of African American heritage in the United States.  I am highly impressed with the collections that I saw at the different visited institutions. We have a lot to learn from the United States´ history preservation work, and I am sure we can collaborate as we gather more historical facts from the United States and provide this country with a piece of our history as well.  This can be a great exchange and I am looking forward to it” – IVLP Participant

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