After being closed since January, the Smithsonian鈥檚 Anacostia Community Museum will reopen on Saturday with a new exhibition, 鈥�,鈥� which highlights the many ways people have documented and preserved the stories of their neighborhoods and the District.
The exhibit opens on the 185th anniversary of the Plummer family diary, 鈥渓ikely the only example of a multi-generational diary started by an enslaved person in the United States,鈥� Acting Curator Jennifer Sieck said.
Adam Francis Plummer of Prince George鈥檚 County wrote the diary’s first entry May 30, 1841. On display at the museum, it records dates of birth, deaths and anniversaries, along with community history and lists of household goods.
After Plummer鈥檚 death, his daughter Nellie continued updating the diary.
鈥淪he taught school for a number of years,鈥� said Sieck. 鈥淪he corrected her father’s spelling and added details to the stories that he told.鈥�
Nellie Plummer also took letters from her family members and took them to historian Carter G. Woodson on 9th St. Northwest and published them in his Journal of Negro History. That experience encouraged the younger Plummer to release a family history of her own in 1927, Sieck said.
鈥淪he self鈥憄ublished and her family was a little nervous because she mortgaged the family home,” Sieck said. “Fortunately, that worked out.鈥�
Nellie Plummer distributed her book, “Out of the depths; or, The triumph of the cross,” widely, which enabled family members to find each other over the years.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 really how the diary found its way to the museum,鈥� Sieck explained.
Last June, roughly 40 members of the Plummer family came to the museum to see the diary in person.
鈥淵oung people in the family asked various questions about this 鈥� really 鈥� family treasure, but also community and national treasure,鈥� Sieck said.
Other highlights of the exhibit are a guitar from Godfather of Go鈥慓o music Chuck Brown, the fur coat opera singer Marian Anderson wore during her historic performance at the Lincoln Memorial and a jersey worn by a member of the Washington Spirit.
There are also interactive stations that are perfect for social media selfies.
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