Objects of Blackness: Race, Materiality, and Meaning at the NMAAHC

Jamya Robinson, University of Notre Dame

This paper examines the material, spatial, and cultural factors that shape the representation and reception of Black history and culture at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Museums play a crucial role in shaping public understandings of social categories and collective memory (Autry 2017; Burns 2013; Domínguez Rubio 2016). While often taken for granted as neutral spaces, museums and memorials become sites of public debate when their narratives and representations are challenged. The NMAAHC is among the latest institutions targeted by conservative politicians and anti-Black legislation, reflecting broader political struggles over historical representation. Race and racism influence not only the content of Black history museums but also their accessibility to both Black and non-Black visitors (Davies 2024; Moulton 2021). However, Black history museums are still under-examined in the study of collective memory and material culture in sociology(Autry 2017; Banks 2019; Simko 2020a). Drawing on 40 hours of ethnographic observations in the NMAAHC and ten interviews with staff and visitors. I analyze how race and materiality shape perceptions of Blackness through three major themes within the museum: History, Community, and Culture. My findings suggest that an object’s framing, placement, and scale—as well as its emotional resonance—shape whether visitors perceive it as affirming or challenging the well-being and existence of the Black community. By analyzing visitor interactions and interpretations, this study contributes to our understanding of how museums mediate race, memory, and cultural identity. Work Cited: Autry, Robyn. 2017. Desegregating the Past: The Public Life of Memory in the United States and South Africa. Columbia University Press. Simko, Christina. 2020. “Marking Time in Memorials and Museums of Terror: Temporality and Cultural Trauma.” Sociological Theory 38(1):51–77. doi: 10.1177/0735275120906430. Domínguez Rubio, Fernando. 2016. “On the Discrepancy between Objects and Things: An Ecological Approach.” Journal of Material Culture 21(1):59–86. doi: 10.1177/1359183515624128.

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 Presented in Session 167. Discourse and the Politics of Culture