ABSTRACT
The fact that a museum is part of the public discussion about race in contemporary American politics. Michelle Obama was talking about the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African History and Culture in Washington which opened in September 2016 and tells the story of African American people. Many museums and galleries have led and continue to shape public discussions and understandings about history, culture and identities. At the same time, the counter-argument often raised by critics of the 'museum as social activist' agenda is that museums should remain outside of politics and neutral. What one might call 'centrifugal' forces like globalisation, migration and the blurring of identity boundaries across gender and ethnicity continue to provide a spur to museums to adapt to dramatic change. Museums and galleries in many countries find themselves competing for the leisure time of local visitors against an ever-growing range of competitor. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in this book.
