DC - Day 3

The last full day in DC started with another tour. 

The girls have studied US History for their high school credit using a curriculum from Woke Homeschooling "Oh Freedom". It is the history of the US from 1619 through reconstruction told from the BIPOC (Black Indigenous Person of Color) perspective. We have seen much more of this perspective everywhere we visited than we did 4 years ago when Cami did this trip, but I wanted something that might "tie it together" so I booked an African American History Tour in DC. 

We started at the Capitol, where our guide expanded on the "slaves built the Capitol" and the black labor that this building (and country) were founded on. Listening to a black man talk abut this was far more powerful than any words on a page

We did a few other stops, but it was POURING rain, so much was seen from the warm and dry interior of the van :) 

However, the weather cooperated when we got the the MLK memorial. We walked from the van and stumbled across a veteran black Army Sargent giving a very emotional and spritied talk about the MLK memorial, and the signficiance of the movement. With him was an elderly man in a wheel chair also in uniform. Come to find out, the gentlman in the wheel char was Lt. Col James H Harvery III - the first African American Top Gun and a member of the Tuskegee Airman. 

We got to meet him, and told him that Cami was getting her pilot's license. He gave her some words of encouragement - so powerful to hear that from someone who was a ground breaker. Literally, living history and world changer. 

The tour ended at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. We could have spent two days here - it is comprehensive and thought provoking and disturbing and celebratory and literally - ALL the feels. 

WIthout a doubt - this is a place that everyone should visit. 

We returned to the AirBnb and discovered that the owner's wife had - in Chinese "mother" tradition and obligation - cooked for us! (As an asdie - those dumplings were Wednesday dinner, Thursday breakfast and lunch and snack and a few made it home for breakfast Friday morning!) 

Thursday Finale tomorrow - and it's a DOOZIE!