In December 2019, I traveled to Washington, DC, to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), at the urging of Ericka Phillips, a lifelong meditator, mindfulness meditation guide, and community organizer who also develops mindfulness-centered, community-focused workshops. She’s a rising thought leader in the mindfulness world, which is why she was asked to collaborate with the museum to design programming that incorporates mindfulness to engage audiences and enhance and support the visitor experience. “The museum,” Ericka told me, “is a representation of the journey of Black Americans and the story of America. And that story is one of liberation. It is a story of a journey toward freedom. Similarly, meditation is a practice of liberation. I want to help visitors see and experience meditation as a way we can practice our own liberation and experience freedom in the present moment.”
“The museum,” Ericka told me, “is a representation of the journey of Black Americans and the story of America. And that story is one of liberation.
(Since the museum had to close its doors during the pandemic, we’ll report on the specifics of the on-site mindfulness program…
