Museum of the African Diaspora

November 30, 2005 9:08 PM

MoADis San Francisco's newest museum. The Museum of the African Diaspora is the latest addition to the SOMA neighborhood's expanding cultural riches, and promises to be fascinating (and, as far as I can tell, unique in the world). [more inside]
posted by trip and a half (14 comments total)

Replete with stories, a fascinating mosaic of images, and even an introductory podcast, it seems very well put together. Even though I can't make the grand opening events tomorrow night and Friday, I can't wait to visit.
posted by trip and a half at 9:08 PM on November 30, 2005

i've got moad dibs
posted by grobstein at 9:11 PM on November 30, 2005

Beautiful
posted by pwedza at 9:53 PM on November 30, 2005

Wow, that mosaic is amazing. Nice to hear about this. I will be interested in following the exhibits this museum offers and this will definitely go on my "must see" list for my next trip to the Bay area, whenever that may be. Thanks.
posted by madamjujujive at 10:12 PM on November 30, 2005

it's definitely not as fancy, but the schomburg center in new york is a great resource for anyone wanting to research the african diaspora.
posted by jann at 10:16 PM on November 30, 2005

Just once I'd like to see a musuem named "MoFo"...
posted by wfrgms at 10:30 PM on November 30, 2005

Isn't everyone, ultimately, African? Wouldn't an African diaspora cover all people, who have now spread over the planet?

I couldn't find anything on the site that explained how the museum defines their use of "African diaspora."
posted by Ayn Marx at 10:59 PM on November 30, 2005

Isn't everyone, ultimately, African?

They obviously mean "negroid/black diaspora." Which beggars a few questions really, but whatever.
posted by undule at 11:04 PM on November 30, 2005

Um, from the front page: MoAD connects all people through the art, culture and history of the African Diaspora. If you poke around the site, that's pretty much one of the major points: we all came from Africa.
posted by trip and a half at 11:20 PM on November 30, 2005

The Museum of the African Diaspora is the latest addition to the SOMA neighborhood's expanding cultural riches, and promises to be fascinating (and, as far as I can tell, unique in the world)

Nope. Nope. Nope.
posted by Rothko at 2:20 AM on December 1, 2005

I hope they have a picture of the black King of Scotland.
posted by Joeforking at 5:03 AM on December 1, 2005

Interesting. I'm disappointed I cannot easily visit it.

I hope that as their exhibit grows that they will begin to add details about what you might call the "second African Diaspora" - where today's well-educated (and less so) Africans willingly leave their own recently independent countries to seek fame, fortune, political asylum or even just economic survival, in foreign lands. There aren't many people discussing it, but I think this will become one of the most significant social changes the world faces in the 21st century. The movement, possibly temporary in some cases, of many brains and strong arms that the continent sorely needs will become a major talking point, especially for my generation who has left our country while retaining many not-so-tenuous links to it in the form of family, friends and experience.

How does this affect the countries that absorb these migrants as well? My instincts tell me it is a cultural and economic gain overall, but the law of conservation probably applies.
posted by rootz at 6:05 AM on December 1, 2005

The City of SF is gradually turning the Yerba Buena area into museum central. Within a few blocks of each other is SFmoma, Museum of Craft and Folk Art, Comic Book Museum, the now opened MoAD, with future plans for a Jewish Museum. Can't wait to check out the MoAD. Thanks for the post.
posted by quadog at 10:26 AM on December 1, 2005

I volunteered at the commuity preview for the opening of MoAD. I was the docent for oldest knwn tools of man, which are on loan from the British Museum.

The response to being able to hold 2 million year old objects was amazing - from people of all colors. And it did bring home the point that we are all African.
posted by shoesietart at 12:11 PM on December 1, 2005