National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we braved the downtown Washington, D.C., crowds and visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It's part of the Smithsonian Museums.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

We started in the lobby which features a film introducing the museum. Overhead is Swing Low, a bronze sculpture that evokes the fluid motion of a band of angels. Crafted by Richard Hunt, it is inspired by the famous Negro spiritual Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

Swing Low

We descended to the bottom of the museum to tour the historical part of the museum. The exhibits begin with the arrival of African slaves in the 1600s.

Collar and chain from slave trade

The largest mainland slave revolt in the English colonies was the Stono Rebellion in 1739. Twenty slaves rose up under Jemmy, a literate enslaved man, and they marched toward Spanish Florida for freedom. The South Carolina militia chased them down, killing most of the rebels, whose number had swollen close to a hundred as they traveled. 

Drum from 18th c. South Carolina

During the American War for Independence, much like the rest of the people in the colonies, there were Blacks who supported the cause for independence and who supported British control of the colonies.

Black Patriots (to the US cause)

Black Loyalist (to the UK cause)

The next exhibit looks at the tension between the Founding Fathers' fight for freedom alongside the acceptance of slavery. Plenty of black freedmen and women contributed to the early United States in spite of cultural biases against them. 

Paradox of Liberty

Richard Allen was born a slave in Philadelphia in 1760. He converted to Methodism, bought his freedom, and became a preacher to whites and black along the east coast. He founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church after frustration with an integrated church in Philadelphia that became less integrated over time.

Richard Allen and his money box

Phyllis Wheatley was a popular poet during the American War for Independence, publishing a book called Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral. 

Elizabeth Wheatley

Benjamin Banneker was a gentleman scientist living near Ellicott Mills, Maryland. He was hired as part of the survey team for the District of Columbia, laying out the border stones that can still be found today.

Benjamin Banneker

One of the big economic drivers that preserved slavery was the invention of the cotton gin in the 1790s. Before this machine, cotton seeds had to be removed by hand in a laborious process. The new speed of processing made growing cotton more valuable. Without an engine to harvest cotton, human labor was used to work the fields, perpetuating the need for low-cost labor that slavery filled.

The Cotton Gin

A haunting display is this stone platform that was used during slave auctions to "display the wares" to people bidding to own other people.

Auction stone

Harriett Tubman was given a lace shawl by Queen Victoria in 1897 in recognition of her valuable work helping slaves flee along the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War. She became a spy for the North during the war. After the war, she became an advocate for civil rights for blacks and for women.

Tubman Shawl

The next section describes the American Civil War, with a map showing the then-extant states and how they voted in the 1860 presidential election that put Abraham Lincoln in the nation's highest office.

Election results in 1860

Displays show photos and items from the Colored Troops who served for the Union during the Civil War.

Blacks fighting in the American Civil War

The historical displays continued on through Reconstruction all the way to the Civil Rights era in the 1960s. We were hungry for lunch and moved on to the cafeteria.

After lunch, we went to the upstairs displays which are focused on culture. One interactive exhibit has visitors choose a driving path for some Chicagoans visiting relatives down south. On the way, big cities would have more restaurant and hotels that catered to black clientele. The Green Book was a directory of friendly garages, restaurants, hotels, and other places across the nation. During the period of Jim Crow laws, where segregation was the law in some jurisdictions, the Green Book was a handy tool to have.

Driving exhibit

Info about Jim Crow and the Green Book

Interactive screens on items owned by but not displayed at the museum

One hall presents the various religions of African-Americans, running the typical gamut of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and other religions.

Religious items from African American communities

From a Catholic Church in New Orleans

Another hall chronicles military service by the different major American wars.

Uniforms through the years

WWII items

Mid- to late-1900s conflicts

Another section shows farming techniques brought to the Americas from Africa, like this exhibit on developing tidal rice fields.

Tidal rice field development

This statue of Mary McLeod Bethune is a copy of the one in the United States Capitol Building. Each state has two statues in the Capitol's rotunda. Bethune represents Florida. She was a civil rights activist in the 1930s and an educator. Her statue replaced a Floridian who was a Confederate general.

Mary McLeod Bethune

Many famous athletes came from the African American community. Pele was a famous Brazilian soccer player in the mid-1900s.

Pele!

Serena and Venus Williams are sisters who were tennis sensations in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Williams sisters

Michael Jordan is perhaps the most famous basketball player in the world. His statue seemingly floats off the ground as he takes his shot. 

Michael Jordan

Jackie Robbins was the first black player in Major League Baseball, playing as #42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His legacy of breaking down barriers has been an inspiration for almost a century.

Dodgers memorabilia

Base-stealing!

The museum had a lot more that we didn't get to see. What I did see was a lot less "woke" than I was anticipating. Lots of it does not look at the African-American experience through the lenses of oppression and victimhood. Of course, historically there has been oppression and victimization, but many men and women rose to their historic occasion and beyond it, making achievements every American should be proud of.

Book Review: The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Jay, and Madison

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

After the success of the American War of Independence, the newly united colonies adopted the Articles of Confederation to create a federal government over the thirteen states. That government turned out to be disastrously dysfunctional. Recognizing the need for a stronger and more well-crafted federal government, the states sent representatives to Philadelphia to draft the Constitution of the United States. In the interests of persuading the State of New York to approve the Constitution, three men wrote a series of articles in favor from October 1787 to April 1788 under the pseudonym Publius. The papers were subsequently published as a book and stand as a thorough explanation of the benefits of the new American Constitution.

The series starts at a higher level, discussing the nature of a republic then working its way down into the various articles in the Constitution. The discussions of the legislative, executive, and judiciary are quite thorough, answering specific objections and potential problems that might arise. The authors reference classical republics like in ancient Rome and Greece (they love Plutarch's Lives!) as well as more contemporary examples from Europe, especially Great Britain. They also cite the various constitutions of the various states, comparing how they handle legislatures, executives, and judiciaries, focusing on what can be learned from those contemporary experiences and examples.

The Constitution is clearly designed to balance out the powers of the various branches of government so no one branch can be dominant. The executive can put a check on laws passed by the legislature, forcing them to have a large majority to override a presidential veto. The judiciary (which they thought was the weakest part of the government) can judge certain actions or laws as compatible with the Constitution and the subsequent laws of the land, but they have no ability to craft or enforce laws. Several powers are spread over branches, like the appointment of ambassadors. The executive nominates candidates who need approval from the Senate, keeping crass cronyism by the executive in check. The legislature needs to be careful using that power too, risking an appearance of political obstruction rather than proper governing. The checks and balances keep people from giving in to their worse instincts or exploiting their positions for personal gains. The sense of the fallenness of human nature is palpable. The needed correctives make a lot of sense, discouraging bad behavior and encouraging virtuous action.

Some things have changed since the Federalist Papers, like the election of the President. Rather than voting on electors who will subsequently vote on the President, the American system has adapted somewhat, with a state's majority candidate receiving the votes assigned to that state (the number of Representatives plus two for the Senators). The system was designed from the beginning to be adaptable. They anticipated the House of Representatives could grow to 100 or 200 members, even though now it is 435. Having a deliberately dynamic Constitution has enabled the country to last so long, even through mistakes like slavery and and flip-flopping on Prohibition. 

These papers, even though they are political commentary that's over 200 years old, are well worth reading for a better understanding of how the Founding Fathers thought a political system should work and how our country has lasted so long through so many challenges.

Highly recommended.

TV Review: The Count of Monte Cristo (2024)

The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) directed by Bille August based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas

Edmond Dantes (Sam Claflin) is on the verge of becoming ship's captain for his boss and husband to his sweetheart Mercedes (Ana Girardot). The previous captain died during their last voyage, leaving Dantes in charge of the ship. The captain alos picked up a letter during a clandestine meeting with Napoleon on his first Mediterranean exile. Dantes does not know about the content of the letter but his rival for the captaincy, Danglars (Blake Ritson), knows it is treasonous. He hatches a scheme with Fernand (Harry Taurasi), a cousin of Mercedes who wants to marry her. They send a letter to the local police investigator Villefort (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard) accusing Dantes of being a Bonapartist. Villefort investigates and is on the verge of exonerating Dantes when he discovers the letter is intended for Villefort's father, a Parisian Bonapartist. If that gets out, his father will be in trouble and so will Villefort. Villefort sends Dantes off to prison at the Castle D'If, an island prison where none escape. Mercedes promises to be true but Dantes's death is falsely reported. She eventually marries Fernand, Danglars becomes a wealthy banker, and Villefort works his way up to Paris law enforcement.

In prison, Dantes swears vengeance and eventually makes friends with Abbe Faria (Jeremy Irons), an imprisoned priest who has been tunneling out of his cell. Faria and Dantes start tunneling together as Faria educates Dantes on everything he knows, including a fabulous treasure hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. After years of work, Faria dies before they are done. Dantes makes a fabulous escape, finds the treasure, and returns to France as the Count of Monte Cristo, ready to get his revenge on the people who put him through fifteen years of unjust and horrible imprisonment.

The story is famous and has been made into film and television versions many times. This recent PBS Masterpiece production has lavish settings and costumes. The eight-episode arc has time for most of the plot of the book. It does a good job with that. The filmmakers throw in some extra subplots that weren't really necessary--an affair that results in an illegitimate child and a lesbian couple. Those creative licenses stick out like sore thumbs and do not sit well in the narrative. The performances are good and the ending retains Dantes's realization that his revenge has a much bigger cost than he expects. This would have been great if the creators stuck more closely to the novel.

Mildly recommended.

Book Review: Marvel Masterworks: The Savage She-Hulk Vol. 1 by S. Lee et al.

Marvel Masterworks: The Savage She-Hulk Volume 1 written by David Anthony Kraft and Stan Lee, art by Mike Vosburg and John Buscema

In a panic over the success of The Incredible Hulk TV show, Stan Lee quickly rushed out a She-Hulk character. He was worried that the Bionic Woman spin-off from the Six-Million Dollar Man would inspire Hollywood to make a She-Hulk show before Marvel made the character, meaning Marvel wouldn't own the rights to the character. After Lee spit out the origin story, he turned the writing duties over to someone else.

She-Hulk's origin follows Los Angeles lawyer Jennifer Walters. She's a defense attorney going after the mob (and fighting some sexism in the legal system). The mobsters shoot her when her cousin Bruce Banner (aka the Hulk) is in town. He rushes her to the next door neighbor who is a doctor. The doctor isn't home, so Bruce works up a blood transfusion to save Jennifer's life. The situation turns into a problem after Bruce leaves, because his gamma-irradiated blood has given Jennifer abilities like the Hulk. When she gets upset, she transforms into the savage, green-skinned monster of the title.

After Lee's story, David Anthony Kraft decided to take the character in a bit of a different direction. His Jennifer Walters is still in control as She-Hulk, though she struggles to keep the savageness out of her behavior. The mob is still trying to kill her. She loans her car to a friend who dies when the car blows up. Jennifer realizes they were trying to kill her, not her friend. She-Hulk tries to reach the car in time but winds up accused of killing the friend. So Jennifer's alter-ego is branded a criminal and a savage, even though she is innocent and has much more control than Bruce has over his alter-ego.

The story moves along at a good pace and has some interesting twists. Jennifer's dad is the sheriff, so he is after She-Hulk for her "crimes." Buck Bukowski is a district attorney and gives the "lady lawyer" a lot of grief. He's also after She-Hulk since she keeps wrecking his nice sports cars as the story goes along. The legal entanglements make for interesting story fodder.

Since this work was a rush-job from the late 1970s, I had some low expectations. She-Hulk has not always been taken seriously, often intentionally turning her into a fourth-wall-breaking character like Deadpool (though she was in on the act before Deadpool even showed up). The comic hasn't been that successful either, compared to other superheroes. This series is a bit more serious, though not too serious. I found it enjoyable and not as exploitative as I was expecting. Jen is an enjoyable character and as she works through her problems, she definitely grows on the reader.

Recommended if you are a Marvel fan.

Movie Review: Stargate (1994)

Stargate (1994) co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich

Egyptologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is on social and financial life-support. He has theories about the Great Pyramid of Egypt that don't sit well with the academic community. Specifically, he argues that it is more ancient than believed and the locals must have had access to other help or technology. With no real support, he accepts a mysterious translation job from a woman associated with the U. S. Air Force. In a prologue, we see that woman as a young girl at an archaeological dig in Egypt as it uncovers a massive burial stone and a huge metallic ring. Now, both items are hidden in a military bunker where civilian and military experts are trying to decipher the writings on both. Jackson makes a breakthrough when he realizes some of the symbols are constellations, not hieroglyphs. Meanwhile, taciturn Colonel Jack O'Neil (Kurt Russell) is brought in to head the project for the military. With Jackson's knowledge they are able to activate the ring, which is a portal to a planet in another galaxy. O'Neil leads the expedition to the other side, where they discover a pyramid and a culture under the thumb of Ra (Jaye Davidson), who is less the Egyptian god of the sun and more of an alien exploiting the human race.

The story has an intriguing set-up, with the mystery about the portal and the mixed motivations of the various characters. Director Emmerich (most famous for Independence Day) is a crowd-pleasing director who puts everything on the screen. The plot is straightforward and the story leads to another triumph for humanity, even as the baddies do their best to mess up things. The action is fun and the special effects (almost entirely practical) hold up after thirty years. Spader and Russell give their usual good performances, providing more humanity to characters who could have been cookie-cutter stereotypes. The enhanced Egyptian mythology works well for the story and provides an alien aesthetic that is not too odd to be believed.

Recommended--this is classic 1980s/1990s sci-fi big budget entertainment.

BSA Summer Camp 2026

My youngest son went on his first summer camp with his Scouting BSA troop. I went as an adult leader to help supervise and keep things organized (and have a little bit of fun too). We went to Broadcreek Memorial Scout Reservation. The reservation is divided into three different camps. Ours was Camp Saffran, also home of one of the lodges for the Order of the Arrow.

Camp Saffran welcomes you!

We had a typical camp site with a bunch of tents. The site (called "Conowingo") also has a cabin with a kitchen, tables, and bunk beds. The scouts all slept in tents. The adults had the choice of tent or cabin. I opted for the cabin. 

View of tents from cabin

The cabin had a little more temperature control than the tents. The first night's temperatures fell into the 50s so the tent people woke up cold. The cabin didn't get as chilly. Later in the week the daytime temperatures skyrocketed into the high 90s and low 100s, turn the tents and cabin into ovens. The tents cooled off more quickly at night. I never slept inside my sleeping bag (on the bunk bed) after the first night. The cabin retained too much heat! One ceiling fan and open windows did not provide enough circulation to make it comfortable for sleeping.

The camp ran the usual schedule. Morning and evening flag ceremonies were followed by breakfast and dinner, respectively. Announcements were made after the flag ceremonies and after lunch. Our scouts participated in one of the evening flag ceremonies, retiring the colors for the night. That happened later in the week, so the scouts were not required to wear Class A uniforms--the brown shirts and green pants that can get warm. Class B involves wearing a more casual Scout shirt, typically a t-shirt with the troop information or from a summer camp or other Scout activity. 

Refreshing on what to do for the flags

About to lower the flags

The flags were at half-mast while we were there to commemorate the death of U. S. Senator Lindsey Graham. 

The troop usually brought its own flag to the ceremonies. A scout then had to carry it to the meal. Hopefully someone would remember to take it back to the camp site at night.

My son with his troop flag

The camp director presided at the flag ceremonies, though she was open enough to allow for troops to do silly things when they reported their status. The typical report would be, "Troop 1250, Conwingo, reporting all present and accounted for, ma'am." A humorous one would substitute something, like "...reporting all present and happy as ducks," with the scouts quacking like ducks. Once, our Senior Patrol Leader (the scout in charge of the troop) traded duties with the camp director, leaving the director holding our flag while the SPL finished the roll call.

Promotion or demotion?

One of the big things at summer camp is working on merit badges. My son took the classes for First Aid, Communications, and Camping. The Communications badge requires participation in a debate, which happened after dinner one night, so I attended. They debated whether the water front or the pool was a better location for aquatic activities.

My son makes a point in favor of the water front

The camp grounds includes a climbing tower, a rifle range, an archery range, and a shotgun range so scouts can work on badges which they may not have the resources for back at the troop's sponsoring organization.

Climbing tower

Those locations also had "open hours" during the week where anybody could come, though priority was given to scouts working on merit badges who needed to make certain achievements that they didn't have time or the practice to complete during class. I went to the archery range to try it out. Archery is fun but not a core skill of mine. 

Bow and quiver of arrows

My first set five arrows (only 4 hit the target)

My second set of arrows (still only 4 in the target!)

I also did the "polar plunge" at the pool. A couple of mornings the pool was open before breakfast for early risers. Morning flags were at 7:45 and the pool was open from 6 to 7 a.m. The pool water was already quite warm, like high 70s or low 80s, so the morning air temperature the first morning was colder than the water! Maybe it was more of a "safari swim" than a "polar plunge."

The food was typical for camp. That's not the focus of the week, so they provided just the basics. The camp counselors would form up by the lines of waiting diners (sometimes long lines) and sing camp songs while the campers waited to get their food. 

Pasta and meatballs with sauce only on the meatballs!

Pulled pork sandwich with 4 fries (but also ice cream)

The camp didn't restrict its activities to the scouts. Some classes were offered for adults. I took IOLS, Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills. First Aid was also available. Two social events happened too. First was a "beer and brats" afternoon gathering where the chief executive for Broadcreek gave us a pitch to come help out or donate. He also asked for feedback on the campgrounds and the program. 

The beer they served with the brats

Later in the week, they had an root beer float social which was supposed to be followed by a belly flop contest at the pool. By that point the temperature had gotten too high and the smoke from Canadian wildfires had come too far south for the contest to be held.

The other beer on offer

Thursday, the smoke from Canada descended on the camp, making the sky hazy and the air less than ideal. The early sun looked red in the sky, almost as if we were camping on Krypton. A lot of scouts left early to avoid the hazardous heat and air, including about half our troop.

The haze over another campground

I was lucky enough (or vigilant enough with bug spray) not to get any ticks on me. I did catch one crawling up my leg before it put the bite on me. I plucked it off and tossed it away. I guess I should have killed it. Our campground had a lot of insect visitors, including this lunar moth. 

On the white board

The campout was a great experience and I would definitely go again, though the troop tends to rotate through other campgrounds. Look forward to a report from next year, dear reader!