My Trip to D.C.
Over the holiday break, I traveled to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. On my trip to D.C., I was lucky to see the Capitol building and the many historical monuments and museums across the National Mall in person. During this trip, I was able to visit Georgetown University, a prestigious college that I plan to apply to in the upcoming year. These experiences will forever hold importance to me as it was a trip that I was able to take in and appreciate the capital to its fullest.
As someone who holds an interest in politics and government, being able to see the buildings where legislation is written and implemented was surreal to me. Understanding how the bills that are passed into law affect the lives of millions, all starting with votes within these large white congressional buildings had a large effect on me. Furthermore, the museums that I visited were also influential on me. The museums that held the largest effect on me were the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The American history museum not only furthered my interest in the rise of America into the country it has become today, but I was also able to make connections to the lessons that I am being taught in my AP US history class. This museum truly did enrich my knowledge on American immigration and the pushback to possibly the greatest attribute of the US, its diversity. The African American History Museum on the other hand, laid out one of America’s largest sins and the struggle for equality that African Americans had to endure and continue to face everyday. This museum was extremely moving from its exhibits on the fight for rights in America, to the cultural battles for representation in fashion, music and sports. The exhibits culminated in the idea that the fight for equality in America for African Americans continues to this day, this was further reinforced with the tall standing Washington Monument which sits right behind the museum. This was symbolic to me as I connected the placements of the structures with Martin Luther King Jr.’s infamous “I Have a Dream” speech, where standing on the Lincoln Memorial, in the background the Washington Monument stands firmly.
These experiences were very influential on me as I could understand and see the history of our nation unfold through this historically symbolic capital. This includes even the most recent historical event, the January 6th insurrection. Right before the 2 year anniversary of this event, the Capitol building remains fenced in, continues to have construction work being done to repair it, and patrolled by armed guards at all times. It remains apparent that historical wrongs in our nation’s history must continue to be discussed, not simply as a reminder, but as a way to learn from our failures and ensure that we do not repeat the same mistakes to grow together as a stronger more unified nation.
