First Reflective Paper Museum Advocacy Day Ianara Natividad

I have had an appreciation for museums and historical sites since I was a child. However,

I did not actively consider my opinions on museums and how they affected me until I began

preparing for and participated in Museum Advocacy Day. Overall, I do not think my perspective

on the value of museums really changed extremely with the experience. Rather, my recent

experiences have led me to piece together thoughts and sentiments that had only previously

floated in the background of my psyche. They helped me realize just how much museums have

impacted my development as a person, my mindset, and as a student of history.

In the Philippines, I remember my mother taking me on sightseeing trips, like being able

to stand at the base of the Rizal Monument in Manila. After I immigrated to the United States, I

had multiple opportunities, with my family and in school, to visit such places in the Charleston

area, like Fort Sumter and the U.S.S. Constitution. Over the years, into high school and college, I

held onto a subconscious interest to visiting museums. Whenever I traveled, no matter where I

went, I would visit a museum in the area if given the chance. However, it was not until I had to

think about these memories while writing up my NEH issue brief for class as well as speak about

those experiences in the various meetings during MAD did I really become mindful of those

connections. Those past visits gave more substance to the historical factoids I learned from books

and in class. They filled me with a sense of the reality of past events as well as what I can only

consider a connection with those places. Now that I think about it, I am certain that seeing those

locations when I was younger helped honed my interests in history, which of course built up

enough that I eventually pursued the subject as my major. Museums enrich our communities

academically, culturally, and economically, and for as long as they have been around, it does

seem like they can also be very fragile in light of political and economic shifts. Advocating for

museums felt like a testament to the adage that one never knows what one has until it is gone,
First Reflective Paper Museum Advocacy Day Ianara Natividad

which the prospect of losing major funding certainly brings to consideration. In the future, I do

believe that I will be more mindful and appreciative of museums value to myself, and to society

in general.

Before signing up for this class, or even entering college, I had admittedly a more cynical

view of the workings of government. No doubt that I loved the history behind government in the

United States, but I had my reservations regarding its effectiveness at times as well as how

personable it could even be to people who were not part of government, especially as it came to

bureaucracy and the hierarchy within that system. When it was mentioned in class that we were

unlikely to actually speak to the congressmen themselves, I did not really find anything

surprising about that fact. Granted, it was nice to see some of the congressman, such as Mr.

Sanford and Mr. Graham at least stop by before or during our meetings, and it was also

reassuring to see that, for the most part, the staff listened to our appeals. I think I garnered more

sympathy towards how busy representatives and officials can be, after seeing the number of

people who line up in front of the office buildings just to meet with representatives. However, the

meetings I attended for the day felt like a mixed bag of success, though leaning more in our favor

overall. For example, I felt relatively good about the meetings that I attended at Mr. Grahams

and Mr. Clyburns offices, and that the staff responded favorably. Mr. Sanfords aide seemed

receptive to our points, though I did not feel that he was completely convinced; the aide at Mr.

Duncans office seemed like he was just against our appeals, but without outright saying his

position. With these experiences, I do think that judgments regarding the workings of

government should be made at a case by case basis, since some offices definitely respond more

positively to certain matters (i.e. support for museums) than others. I admit that it did feel

frustrating when a staff gave the impression of going against our points, such as in the meeting
First Reflective Paper Museum Advocacy Day Ianara Natividad

with Mr. Duncans staff member, and almost gave the effort a sense of futility, but despite those

difficulties, our actions do seem to have weight, that it was important in getting our the issues

looked at and our voices heard.

In class, the various ICSC sites we have discussed so far have been based on specific

events or themes, but the general ideas they ultimately address and advocate for tend to revolve

around human and civil rights. As a result, another common point of the readings and the

discussions which stem from those readings then come to focus on whether museums should take

certain stances on an issue and even the extent to which these museums can put forward such a

stance. During MAD, the meeting with Mr. Duncans staff particularly stood out to me, partly

because it felt like the least successful meeting, but also because the staff member brought up

some points that reminded me of our class readings and discussions on the ICSC sites. The staff

member kept bringing up the possibility that museums may end up propounding radical and, as

he put it, possibly harmful ideas. Since there are still museums that seek only to preserve and

present information, with as little bias as one can hope, I do think it unfair to lump all museums

in that category on mere presumption of what may be done. The issues we were bringing to the

table would possibly have had an effect on all museums, regardless of how some may take

stronger stances on issues presented in their exhibitions. Yet, I could also understand the

hesitation in part, because federal funding for museums can be construed as federal support for

certain ideologies, which makes museums that seek to present information without a specific

stance seem the most politically correct choice at times. From a politicians perspective, it then

becomes imperative that the bills they support do not go to empowering possibly radical or

offensive ideas, since those stances reflect on themselves. However, in general, I think our class

(comprised of students who tend to have some, if not significant, interest in history) tended to
First Reflective Paper Museum Advocacy Day Ianara Natividad

agree that museums should strive to say or do something to keep museum goers mindful of

possible injustices or transgressions associated with their content. Early in the semester, the

discussion regarding whether museums should take a stance or present obvious bias ultimately

came up as inconclusive in regards to whether one side was really correct or better. Even after

participating in MAD, I do not think the answer has become any clearer, though the arguments

for either side have now become more substantial with the experience. Both sides have to

consider the positions that governments and other formal institutions must take compared to

what may be considered the clear choice to what is humane or appropriate in regards to

individual rights, which makes the debate a very grey matter as a whole.