According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture director, Lonnie Bunch, the new museum will have four main purposes. First, the museum will create an environment where people can explore African American culture and history through interactive and state-of-the-art exhibitions. Second, the museum will show visitors the importance of African American history and culture to all Americans by demonstrating how American values like resiliency, optimism and spirituality are manifested in African American culture and history. Third, the museum will demonstrate the impact of the African Diaspora on America and the world. Finally, the museum will provide a place for collaboration and teamwork and reach out to museums and organizations nationwide, not just in the nation's capital.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture also offers a museum on the Web for use as an educational tool nationwide. Through its partnership with IBM, the National Museum of African American Culture and History shares African American History with a global public. This initiative is the "virtual precursor" to the new museum that is to be built on the Washington Mall.
Ordinary Americans' stories, called "memories" are collected in text, image and audio formats in a virtual "Memory Book" where visitors to the site can share their stories, traditions, opinions and ideas. These contributions from website visitors are later linked with similar stories and museum holdings for a greater impact.
As of 2010, the museum is in the process of acquiring additional artifacts in order to better demonstrate the variety of the African American experience. The gallery in the National Museum of American History building offers exhibitions on the civil rights movement, African American history, culture, music, performing arts and visual arts in addition to collections and displays about African American culture and history contained in other Smithsonian Museums. The museum's inaugural exhibition "Let Your Motto Be Resistance," is a collection of African American portraits from the National Portrait Gallery.
Since 1915, African Americans have desired a space on the National Mall in Washington. Civil War veterans and slaves' children marched on Washington to demand the tribute their sacrifice deserved. This movement resulted legislation in 1929 for the construction of a memorial building to serve as a museum and a tribute to African-Americans' contributions to America. In 2001, Congressman John Lewis established the The National Museum of African American History and Culture Plan for Action Presidential Commission to create a plan of action for the building. In 2003, Congress and president George W. Bush passed legislation creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2006, the Smithsonian Board of Regents made their final selection for a construction site on the National Mall.
Entrance to the gallery is free of charge and all Smithsonian Museums are open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. year-round, except Christmas Day. The new building will be located next door to the National Museum of American History, on a 5-acre site near the Washington Monument.