“Excuse me, sir. Is it possible for me to get in and just see the gift shop?”

Visiting Washington, D.C., for business last November, I was drawn to the brand-new National Museum of African American History & Culture. The waiting list for tickets was eight months long to get in, but it was a warm, sunny day so I walked there from my hotel just to see what it looked like.

“No sir, you have to have a ticket,” I was told.

“Well, OK, just thought I’d try.”

The ticket-taker paused, looked me up and down and gave me a conspiratorial smile.

“Hold on.”

He reached into his coat pocket and produced a ticket, then he winked and told me to enjoy myself.

It was as though Shirley was looking out for me.

Click the link below to read the rest of the story.

About the Author

Keep Reading

The SNAP program provided benefits to about 13% of Georgia’s population, 1.4 million people, during the 2024 fiscal year. (Associated Press)

Credit: Sipa USA via AP

Featured

Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC