5.01.2008

The Holocaust Memorial Museum

I can remember when I was in about 4th or 5th grade and visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum (HMM) in DC. Back then, it was strictly dedicated to the Jewish Holocaust and paid little if any mention to another genocides across the world.
About a month ago my co-workers went to a conference on the current conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and I was shocked to hear that it took place in the HMM. I was even more shocked when they gave me pamphlets with information about the genocide in Sudan and told me that there were exhibits dedicated to it. I was ecstatic to hear how the scope of the museum had grown.
Apparently, they have also grown to include a mapping program that allows visitors to track genocides across the world. I applaud the Holocaust Memorial Museum for changing the US' understanding of "holocaust" and educating others, especially the many children that visit. Holocausts include and surpass the atrocities experienced by the Jews in Germany and unfortunately, existed before then and continue to exist today.

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