BlackPressUSA.com

The popular National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) closed Wednesday, January 2, the latest attraction to close due to the partial government shutdown. Hundreds of employees at the museum have been furloughed as a result of the closure. The closure threatens the travel plans of thousands of Black students and families who are wrapping up their holiday breaks to explore their history on Constitution Avenue. The NMAAHC is among the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, galleries, and National Zoo that have closed as the government shutdown heads into its eleventh day. All of the Smithsonian museums will be closed indefinitely as Congress and President Donald Trump continues to clash over a budget that includes Trump’s plans to raise $5 billion for a wall along the Mexican border. With billions to go and partisan politics, lawmakers are far from ending the stalemate anytime soon.