Norton to Speak at 20th Anniversary Celebration of African American Civil War Memorial and Museum She Helped Achieve, Wednesday
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will give remarks at a kick-off celebration of the 20th anniversary of the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum tomorrow, Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., at 1925 Vermont Ave. NW. One of Norton's first bills when she came to Congress authorized the District of Columbia government to establish on federal land in D.C. a memorial to African Americans who died as Union soldiers during the Civil War. Norton's bill passed the House and Senate and was signed into law in 1992. The museum first opened its doors in the historic U Street neighborhood on July 18, 1998.
"It is a personal joy to see how successful the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum have been since my bill in 1992 authorized the memorial to African American soldiers," Norton said. "My good friend Dr. Frank Smith, the museum's founder and executive director, deserves the credit for how he has taken the memorial and built it into a museum that is now being expanded. For 20 years, his unique museum has been a tourist attraction that has educated thousands of D.C. residents and visitors on the remarkable achievements and contributions of African American soldiers during the Civil War, who were invaluable to the Union's victory that ended slavery and saved our nation. Located in the heart of historic U Street, the museum is one the District's most important landmarks and even has its name on a Metro station. I look forward to celebrating the memorial and museum tomorrow and particularly to congratulating Dr. Smith, whose vision has borne so much fruit here."