Third in a Series of Ongoing Extended Exhibitions
The Center's first exhibition, Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, was really good, although parts of it were emotionally difficult to handle.I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Center's second exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World. I approached it with low expectations, wondering what more I could learn about old Ben since I've lived in the Philly area all of my life. In fact, I learned a lot. As I said in my review, "Ben was quite a guy and, more importantly, he not only played a big role in the 18th century, but he plays a big role in today's world and the little thing we call the United States of America."
Someday I'll learn my lesson and not to prejudge these exhibitions at the National Constitution Center. They always exceed my expectations, but always in a much different way than I could have imagined.
When I heard about the new exhibition called - Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers I was confused as to how this even fit into the mission of the National Constitution Center. In addition, I thought I'd have little interest in looking at a collection of sports memorabilia. Well, once again, reality far exceeded my diminished expectations.
Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers and the Center's Mission
In fact, Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers is my favorite of the three exhibitions I've seen at the National Constitution Center.
You might wonder how this exhibition is appropriate for the Center. It's a valid question and one that can be answered by looking at the Center's Mission Statement:
- The National Constitution Center is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of, and appreciation for, the Constitution, its history, and its contemporary relevance, through an interactive, interpretive facility within Independence National Historical Park and a program of national outreach, so that We the People may better secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.
The U.S. Constitution has been amended 29 times since its adoption but it has been reviewed thousands of times by the Courts as they apply it to specific situations at specific times.
Celebrating Athletes' Accomplishments in a Changing America
Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers addresses many of those same issues. Early in the 20th Century sport was primarily a domain of white male healthy participants. People of color, non-Christians, women and those with disabilities were excluded from most amateur and virtually all professional sports.
The history of sports in the United States is a history of ongoing change. It is a history of men and women who broke barriers and broke records. Some of these individuals are well known as groundbreakers such as Jackie Robinson who was the first African American to play Major League Baseball. Others excelled and we hardly noticed the extent of their success such as Dominique Dawes who was the first African American woman to ever win an Olympic medal in gymnastics.
Drawn from the outstanding collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, the exhibition celebrates athletes' accomplishments - the perfect game, the close race, the broken record, and the unheralded triumph.
More significantly, the exhibition shows how many cultural, political, and even physical barriers have, through the help of sportsmen and women, been shattered.
National Constitution Center President and CEO Richard Stengel's Overview
This exhibition reminds us of the racial, ethnic and gender issues that athletes encounter and the effect their personal victories, both on and off the field, exert on the nation's consciousness.
The exhibition focuses on 35 athletes and their performances in 17 different sports. Artifacts selected emphasize such issues as women's changing roles, racial and ethnic integration, the emergence of sports celebrities and superstars, nationalism, perceptions about human physical limitations, and technological breakthroughs that enhanced performance and participation.
National Constitution Center President and CEO Richard Stengel addressed how this exhibition fits into the mission of the Center. "Though it may come as a surprise to some, this exhibit is a natural fit with the museum’s mission. The Center is not just about history, it is about the people who make history - those who have made their mark in gaining a broader acceptance. Our main exhibition speaks of the struggle to expand ‘We the People’, including athletes, such as Muhammad Ali, who have played a role in this fight. The Sports exhibit will further show how athletes over time have inspired others and influenced the social constructs around them."