Smithsonian breaks ground on National Museum of African-American History

The Smithsonian Institution will break ground on the National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC) today at a ceremony that President Obama and Laura Bush will attend.

The museum is to be completed in the fall of 2015, a dozen years after President George W. Bush signed legislation calling for the creation of the museum. NMAAHC will be the nation's largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to showcasing African-American life, art, history and culture. Numerous collaborations have occurred and will occur with other African-American museums nationwide.

Civil rights leaders, dignitaries, congressional representatives and prominent African-Americans from business, academia and the arts and entertainment will attend the ceremony, including Rep. John Lewis, D-GA, and actress Phylicia Rashad.

"More than anything, I want to make America better," said Lonnie Bunch, the museum's director, in a statement. "I want the museum to overcome race."

The museum will be built on the National Mall, where Smithsonian museums attract tens of millions of visitors annually. It will stand on a 5-acre site adjacent to the Washington Monument and opposite the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

"I've always wanted to tell the stories of the regular people, to give a voice to those who were anonymous," said Bunch.