African American History museum opening in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. (NBC News) — Friday evening in Washington, D.C. a celebration is taking place as the Smithsonian prepares to dedicate its newest museum.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture officially opens on Saturday, and caps off a project that is 13 years and $500 million dollars in the making.

“What we need is a museum that takes African American history and uses it as a lens to understand what it means to be an American,” said Museum Director Lonnie Bunch.

While our nation struggles with the police shootings of two black men in Tulsa and Charlotte, this museum tells a rich cultural story of American history that needs to be heard.