Exelon Foundation Donates $1 Million to Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture
Donation advances the Foundation’s commitment to promote diverse
perspectives and support institutions making a difference in its
communities
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Exelon Foundation today announced that it is donating $1 million to
the National Museum of African American History and Culture in
Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian’s newest museum is scheduled to open
Sept. 24, 2016.
The donation will support the museum’s exhibitions and programs, which
are designed to use African American stories and contributions as a lens
into a deeper understanding of U.S. history and its links to the world.
“We’re proud to support this museum and its essential role in telling
the story of America in all its richness and complexity,” said Chris
Crane, Exelon president and CEO, and chairman of the Exelon Foundation.
“Diverse perspectives and backgrounds are fundamental to understanding
and celebrating who we are as a nation. They also are fundamental to our
business and our core values. At Exelon, we embrace those same ideals in
everything we do as a company.”
“The millions of people who visit the National Museum of African
American History and Culture will benefit mightily from the generosity
of the Exelon Foundation,” said Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director
of the museum. “We are grateful for the foundation’s belief in this
museum and its love for the country whose history we are committed to
exploring in a new and compelling way. With Exelon as a member of the
museum family, we are strengthened in our resolve to examine a people’s
journey and a nation’s story.”
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the 19th
Smithsonian campus. The museum’s 12 inaugural exhibitions focus on the
themes of history, culture and community. In total, the museum features
a collection of nearly 40,000 artifacts dating from the 17th
century to modern times. Among the highlights — remnants of a
Portuguese slave ship that sank in 1794 with nearly 500 enslaved
Africans on board, an open-cockpit biplane used to train the Tuskegee
Airmen for World War II compact duty; Louis Armstrong’s Selmer trumpet,
c. 1939, and a lace shawl given to underground railroad conductor
Harriet Tubman by England’s Queen Victoria.
The Exelon Foundation is an independent, nonprofit philanthropic
organization funded solely by Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). Exelon,
the parent of Pepco, is a Fortune 100 energy company with the largest
number of utility customers and one of the largest, cleanest generation
fleets in the United States.
About the Museum
The National Museum of African American History and Culture was
established as the 19th Smithsonian museum by an Act of Congress through
legislation signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2003.
Groundbreaking occurred in 2012. The museum occupies a prime location in
Washington, D.C., on the National Mall at the corner of Constitution
Avenue at 14th Street, across from the Washington Monument. Opening
Sept. 24, the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum will be the nation’s
largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively
to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American experience.
About the Exelon Foundation
The Exelon Foundation is an independent, non-profit philanthropic
organization funded solely by Exelon Corporation, an energy company,
through shareholder dollars. The organization supports non-profit, tax
exempt organizations primarily within the service territory of Exelon
and its operating companies.
Contacts
Exelon
Paul Adams, 410-470-4167
paul.adams@constellation.com
