An array of African-American artifacts awaits on the National Mall

WASHINGTON – There’s a lot to see at the new Smithsonian museum on the National Mall. And we mean a lot!

Staff members have been collecting important objects, papers, photos and stories for years to prepare for the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Visitors to the museum, which opened Saturday, will be able to explore eight public floors – four of which are underground – and see more than 3,000 items of historical interest. They are just a sliver of the nearly 40,000 items in the museum’s growing collection. They tell the story of African-Americans, from the trans-Atlantic slave trade that began in the 15th century, through the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s, right up to today.

It is at times a story of great sadness, but also one of joy and hope. And it’s not intended for black people only. Museum director Lonnie Bunch says he wants all Americans to come learn how the African-American experience has changed and enriched this country for everyone.

What will you see there? Here’s a quick tour:

From the time of slavery, you can see a slave cabin from the 1800s, iron ankle shackles worn by a child, Harriet Tubman’s hymnal and shawl, and an 1855 ad offering 56 slaves for sale, including a 20-month-old named Henry and his parents, described as “superior” cotton pickers.

One large display has a statue of President Thomas Jefferson standing before a tall wall of blocks. Each block has the name of one of the 170 or so slaves he owned in 1776, when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that “all men are created equal.” Over his lifetime, Jefferson owned more than 600 slaves.

The history lesson continues through the Civil War of the 1860s, when slavery ended, and into the Jim Crow era. Jim Crow was the name used by a white singer and dancer who dressed as a black slave and pretended to be a fool. The name was given to racist laws that states used to portray black people as inferior and keep them apart from white people. This action, called racial segregation, didn’t end until the 1960s.

Many uplifting displays offset the dark shadows of slavery and racism. Look up and you see an open-cockpit plane used to train the black World War II pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Elsewhere, you enter modern times and learn about art, clothing, food and music created by black artists, including hip-hop musicians.

Young visitors will delight in the sports gallery. Among its treasures are track star Carl Lewis’ Olympic medals, a leotard worn by gymnast Gabby Douglas, Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers baseball jersey and boxer Muhammad Ali’s warmup robe. You can stand next to a statue of tennis icons Serena and Venus Williams or under a statue of basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan scoring over your head.

Nafisa Weeks, Princess Courtney and Lance Spencer, students at Eliot-Hine Middle School in Washington, got an early look at the museum last week.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids to come and learn outside the history books,” Nafisa said.

“It’s more interesting in person,” Princess agreed. “It shows where we come from and our culture.”

Asked whether white students would find the museum equally interesting, Lance said: “I think all children will like the museum. It’s the history of every race.”