Smithsonian Curator Visits Webster Ghana to Discuss Sports as an Art Form
February 25, 2020
In collaboration with the American Embassy, the Ghana Campus welcomed Dr. Damion Thomas to deliver a Black History Month talk to students and faculty, exploring how the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture uses sports as an entry point into larger social, cultural and political conversations affecting U.S. race relations.
Thomas is the sports section curator for the museum and the director of the Sports and Race Initiative.
Thomas greeted students with great enthusiasm, sharing his background and demonstrating how his dream job utilizes his educational foundation and love for athletics to share the African-American experience daily with people from all walks of life.
He showed original plans for the museum and explained how various decisions led to final execution being less of a hall of fame and more of a story that revealed how Black talent has gone from being concealed in the past to being appreciated and celebrated today.
Thomas also discussed the museum's design, lauding the work of the Ghanaian architect, David Adjaye, who developed it.
Thomas answered questions from student and staff participants on whether there are plans to make soccer a highlight in the museum and what, if anything, would be done to shine light on Kobe Bryant’s incredible legacy following his recent, untimely passing.