The Anacostia Community Museum

Mission and Values

Together with local communities, the Anacostia Community Museum illuminates and amplifies our collective power.

As our neighborhoods undergo social, economic, and environmental changes that individuals alone cannot address, there is a need for communities to bring together their combined knowledge and strengths. As a museum that convenes people and ideas, ACM documents and preserves communities’ memories, struggles, and successes, and offers a platform where diverse voices and cultures can be heard. We believe that bridging disparate parts of our communities can bring collective action to bear on forging a better future together.

Vision

Urban communities activate their collective power for a more equitable future.

We envision healthy neighborhoods that are empowered to work together to solve urgent issues. As a trusted and inclusive center, the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum seeks to inspire communities to take action, and is an incubator for the next generation of civically engaged citizens. By illuminating the intersections of history, culture, and contemporary social issues affecting DC metro area communities, including where they are in flux across urban/suburban boundaries, ACM uses a local lens to tell stories that resonate nationally and globally.