About 2.5 million people visited the David Adjaye­­–designed National Museum of African American History and Culture during its inaugural 12 months.

I grew up during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and, like many others of my generation, I like to think I am well-informed about the history of race in the United States.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will open to the public Saturday, September 24.

Though the scaffolding on the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s new building on the Mall in Washington, D.C. has been down for some time, allowing the public full view of its three-tiered, crown-shaped exterior of bronze-colored cast-aluminum panels, on Thursday, a small group of journalists was given a tour of its nearly complete interiors, where installation of exhibits has already begun.

With its trio of inward-sloping tiers, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) cuts a striking profile on the National Mall.