Black History Museum Set For National Mall

A museum that supporters say will feature the achievements of black Americans as well as painful moments in our history will be built on the National Mall not far from the Washington Monument. The Smithsonian Institution will operate the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The prominent location promotes the concept that black American life is a part of mainstream American life, said Rep. John Lewis, a liberal Georgia Democrat who has been pushing for the museum for about 20 years. "That site is the front door to American democracy," said Lewis, a student activist during the civil rights movement. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed legislation calling for selection of a site for the museum. The decision for the site was made by the Smithsonian's board of regents. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts - who serves as chancellor of the regents - presided over the vote. The museum will be a block from the National Museum of American History on Constitution Avenue and across the street from the Washington Monument. The museum is expected to open by 2012, and will cost up to $500 million. Half the funds are to come from the federal government and the other half through private funds. Oprah Winfrey and Bob Johnson, both billionaires, are among the fundraisers.