April 25, 2019

STATUS UPDATE: Back on Track

Our new approach to instituting the National Museum of the American People calls for completion of a feasibility study and obtaining broad Congressional and public support for this project by the Fall of 2020. This would be followed by Congress creating an entity to plan and build the Museum and to raise the necessary funds to plan build and operate it.

Here’s where we are now:

  1. 1. Feasibility Study

    The proposed feasibility study to explore establishment of the Museum:

    1. Would be based on the final report that led to National Museum of African American History and Culture
    2. Would focus on the Museum's:
      1. mission and governance
      2. story about the making of the American people
      3. physical plant
      4. cost and funding
      5. components
      6. public relations and legislation plan
    3. Would include consultation with major university museum studies programs
    4. Completion goal: 12-15 months starting Fall 2019
    5. Will be presented to potential funders starting this spring
    6. Would cost an estimated $1.75 million
    7. Would be funded from private sources

    The final report will be submitted to the President, Congress and the American public and will ask Congress to then consider new legislation to:

    1. Designate the Museum as a "National" museum
    2. Designate a federal site in Washington, DC for the Museum
    3. Determine the Museum's governance, whether part of or independent of the Smithsonian Institution
    4. Create a self-sufficient federal entity to plan and build the Museum and for it to raise all of the funds required to plan, build and operate the Museum

  2. 2. Congressional Support

    Draft legislation is being finalized. It calls on Senate and House support for the feasibility study and for it to be funded by private sources.

    Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI, is the Senate lead and we hope to have companion bills introduced in the House and Senate this summer. We are currently meeting with:

    1. Senate GOP members to obtain bipartisan Senate leads
    2. Bipartisan members of the Senate Rules Committee to gain their support
    3. House Dem members to be House leads
    4. Bipartisan members of the House Administration Committee to gain their support

  3. 3. Support for Museum

    Backing the Museum now are more than 200 ethnic/nationality/minority organizations, 19 religious-based and other organizations that focus on refugees and immigration and more than 100 leading scholars of immigration and migration history.

    We are forming an NMAP Leadership Group and plan to announce it this summer.

    While we have the support of 24 Hispanic/Latino organizations and 23 Latino scholars, some major Latino organizations have opted to support a proposed American Latino museum in Washington. However, in December the Smithsonian Institution announced that it will add a permanent gallery opening in 2020 dedicated to Latino history and culture in its National Museum of American History located on the National Mall. One of our top priorities is to have major Latino organizations support the NMAP.

  4. 4. Communications

    1. NMAP launched a blog in November 2018. So far more than 30 issues have been posted.
    2. Two interns have been focused on the NMAP's social media program which includes YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
    3. We will be sending out press releases and engage in media outreach as we gain additional significant support and cross significant thresholds.

We will keep you abreast of our progress as we move forward over the coming months.