The Smithsonian Institute began construction of the National
Museum of African American History and Culture on Feb. 22, 2012.
The museum, which, according to the NMAAHC website, "will be a
place where all Americans can learn about the richness and
diversity of the African American experience, what it means to
their lives and how it helped us shape this nation," is set to
open in 2015. This headgear, once worn by Muhammad Ali in the
1960s, is one of many famous items that will be on display in
the NMAAHC when it opens. Here are a few more famous artifacts
that will be featured in the museum upon completion. |Glass
shards & shotgun shell from the 16th Street Baptist Church
Bombing| This collection of glass shards and shotgun shell were
gathered from the gutter outside the 16th Street Baptist Church
in Birmingham, Al., after a bombing in 1963 that killed three
young girls. |Nat Turner's Bible| This Bible once belonged to
Nat Turner, who famously led a slave rebellion in 1831in
Virginia. |Middle Passage Shackles|