U.S. African American History Museum in Washington, DC

WHEREAS, African Americans were the only population that came to America's shores as slaves; and

WHEREAS, despite persistent, massive legalized/institutionalized racism and discrimination well into the 20th Century, African Americans have played a major role in the building of America, the defending of America and in the shaping and contributing to America in the fields of science, medicine, literature, arts, dance, music, religion and entertainment; and

WHEREAS, other ethnic groups which played a role in the building of America have a national history museum on the mall of the nation's Capitol, the seat of government.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the NAACP encourages every unit of the NAACP across the country to work in coalition with other like-minded groups and organizations to develop a lobbying campaign to petition the U.S. Congress to provide a site, funding, and support to erect a full-scale, interactive, high-tech historical museum and research center on the mall of the nation's Capitol for the purpose of documenting, educating and telling the story of the African American experience in the United States from its early beginnings in the 17th Century.