I was on the Mall today and am here to say it was COLD, and with a bone chilling wind to add insult to injury. I must say it kept the tourists away, even on MLK Jr. weekend. Hours later my ears are still ringing.
Last March I took a pic of what was then the hole that will eventually become the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Well, ten months later we still have a hole but it is starting to fill up.
National Museum of African American History and Culture construction site, January 2014
I have no doubt that they will do a great job. A few months ago the Smithsonian folks were at the Brooklyn Museum appraising people’s artifacts. Earlier this month they were doing the same thing in Fort Lauderdale while I was down there. It is going to be a varied and disparate collection. The only thing that concerns me is that the Mall, especially this part of the Mall, is on low ground and is susceptible to flooding.
The Strawfoot 
I love DC and the mall in particular. Today I heard on public radio that the New York Street Presbyterian Church has an early draft of the emancipation proclamation. It was donated to them because it is where Lincoln worshiped. They are having trouble trying to figure out how to preserve it. Smithsonian is trying to help them. I hope to visit on my next trip to DC.
I hope that the museum includes examples of quilting in the African American museum. Quilting was an important part of the .culture and the Underground Railroad.
I’m sure they will have some. Quilts were a big part of the story of the Underground Railroad.
I had not seen about the draft of the EP being here. The Hayfoot and I saw one of the drafts in Harlem about a year and a half ago. We love Antietam so much in part because of the Proclamation.