User:Markeer/National Museum of the American People

The National Museum of the American People is a proposed museum to be built in Washington D.C. A Bipartisan Resolution calling for a Presidential Commission to study the creation of this museum was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 7, 2011 by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) with the support of John Duncan (R-TN)

Overview
Proposed by the Coalition for the National Museum of the American People, composed of more than 140 ethnic, national and genealogical private non-profit organizations, the Museum would "tell the story of ALL of the American People from prehistoric times to the present and advance and disseminate knowledge of that story." The organization announced this project at a press event in February, 2011 and began gathering support in Congress. In July of 2011, a Bipartisan Resolution, H.Con.Res. 63, was introduced in Congress by Rep. Jim Moran with 13 other original cosponsors representing both Democrats and Republicans.

History
The Coalition for the National Museum of the American People was created by Sam Eskenazi, former Director of Public Information for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. According to Eskenasi, the concept for the museum originated when he was passing the Jamie L. Whitten Building, the only office building on the National Mall. According to Eskenazi:

"I asked myself, “If this were a museum, what kind of museum could it be?” The answer: a museum that would tell the stories of all of the peoples coming to this land. I came up with a name for the museum on the spot - the National Museum of the American People. It is a testament to the need for the museum that many people, when told about the proposal, were surprised that such a museum doesn't already exist."

- Sam Eskenazi

A bill, H.R. 6883 was introduced on September 11, 2008 to create a study commission, but the bill did not advance. Eskenazi then created a coalition of private not-for-profit ethnic and nationality groups to support the creation of the museum in 2009 and 2010. In February, 2011 these organizations announced a formal launch of the project at a press event in Washington, D.C. Shortly thereafter the Washington City Paper named it "D.C.'s Best Museum That Doesn't Exist Yet" as part of their "Best Of D.C. 2011" issue.

In May, 2011 Rep. Jim Moran agreed to be the originating sponsor of a resolution calling for a study group, expressing concerns about balkanization of the National Mall. In partnership with Eskenazi's Coalition for the National Museum of the American People, Moran introduced H.Con.Res. 63 on July 7, 2011.

Museum Contents and Exhibitions
thumb|200px|left|Logo of the Coalition for the National Museum of the American People

The Museum project creators have proposed a number of components to be considered for a final institution. Among these are a permanent exhibition (tentatively called The Story of the American People), a Center for Advanced Studies drawing upon a group of over 50 scholars who have offered their support to the project, a National Genealogical Center, an Education and Resource Center and an archival library of American Migration and Immigration.

In addition the permanent collection is intended to be presented in a narrative manner, told as four chapters :

Chapter I, The First Peoples Come, 20,000 before present (est.)-1607 Chapter II, The Nation Takes Form, 1607-1820 Chapter III, The Great In-Gathering, 1820-1924 Chapter IV, And Still They Come, 1924-Present

Congressional Resolution
H.Con.Res 63