In 1994, the Anacostia Museum presented a community-based exhibition called Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D.C. This multilingual, multicultural research and exhibition project was among the first documentation projects to examine perceptions and realities of race, nationality, and ethnicity of Black immigrants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The stories and collections continue to resonate with D.C. area residents today.

It has been 20 years since the Black Mosaic exhibition and the issues of race, ethnicity, and community remain at the center of  many urban issues in D.C. and beyond. Formerly predominately Black cities, like Washington, D.C., are changing in composition. The demographics of the D.C. metro area and of the U.S. are shifting. Immigration is a hotly debated national issue. How do we talk about race, nationality, ethnicity and Black immigrants in 2014?

The 20th anniversary of Black Mosaic is an opportunity to revisit and rethink these important community issues through contemporary lenses.  The anniversary activities will include:

• a September symposium at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars – open to the public!
• an October community forum in D.C. – open to the public!
• an academic-community collaborative publication based on the symposium and with contributions from some 1994 Black Mosaic participants