National Museum of African-American History and Culture
Nobody reads feel-good stories. Why is that? Is it because we don’t believe good things actually can and do happen, or if they do, then it’s a fluke? I mean, we all know bad things happen; the question there is just a matter of how often or how bad. And face it: doesn’t it make us feel a little better to know that, hey, I got it bad, but it COULD be a lot worse?
Why the analogous sentiment for good things doesn’t take hold, I’m not sure. The life [so far] of David Adjaye is one that is atypical, but it isn’t made up. It’s about a Ghanaian boy who was born in Tanzania, moved around a lot in Africa and the Middle East as a child and teen, loved and studied architecture (Western architecture, since that’s what the schools taught), and now synthesizes the best of his original world with the best of his learned world.
David Adjaye
He is a young black man in a field dominated by old, white men. He’s not out to disrupt the world in a destructive way. He doesn’t demand the spotlight, or retribution, or reparation. He simply does what he does, shares his gifts and his hard work with the world, and we are the better for it.
David’s team is designing America’s new National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington D.C. Here’s how he thinks:
This project is about many things. I spoke about celebration. How do we make a building that says ‘Look at where we are!’ not just ‘Look at where we came from’ or ‘Look at what we went through’?
Read his profile at FastCompany.com. It’s a great story – if you have either the time or the inclination to give yourself a few minutes to feel good about what someone else is doing and accomplishing in this world.
