The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall featuring African American history and culture in the US. (Getty)
In a very disturbing series of incidents, multiple nooses have been found in different locations throughout Washington D.C.
Some of the nooses have been found in spots that have historical and emotional significance to the Civil Rights movement and the fight against racial discrimination in America.
It’s not clear who’s leaving the nooses, and it’s not clear whether they are related, but multiple incidents have cropped up in late May and early June 2017. The nooses come as other hate crimes have occurred throughout the nation, such as the incident on the Portland MAX train in which a man is accused of stabbing three Good Samaritans who tried to intervene when he hurled anti-Muslim slurs at two teenage girls.
Here’s a full list of the nooses found in Washington D.C. and their locations.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Noose found on floor of an exhibit about segregation at African American history museum in Washington DC t.co/ljqeXB870Z
Horrifically, one of the nooses was found hanging in the Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History and Culture.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, tourists found the noose on Wednesday, May 31 in an exhibition on segregation.
“Park police came to investigate and removed the noose, and the exhibit gallery was reopened within three hours,” the magazine reported.
“The noose has long represented a deplorable act of cowardice and depravity—a symbol of extreme violence for African Americans. Today’s incident is a painful reminder of the challenges that African Americans continue to face,” wrote Lonnie Bunch, museum director, in an email to staff, according to Smithsonian.com.
Hirshhorn Museum
Investigation launched after noose left outside of Hirshhorn museum in Washington t.co/9Ony39iLr8
On May 26, a noose was found “hanging from a tree near the Hirshhorn Museum on the National Mall,” reported USA Today.
“A Smithsonian Police officer found the noose Friday afternoon while conducting security checks on the grounds. It was located inside of the dense canopy of a tree on the west side of the museum plaza,” the newspaper reported.
D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted after that noose was found, “It is an unfortunate irony that a sign of intimidation/ignorance would be placed on our National Mall where Americans of all walks of life come to learn more about who we are, celebrate our diversity and leave inspired to improve their lives, communities and country.”
The Hirshhorn Museum is also part of the Smithsonian.
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
A piece of rope was found near the MLK Memorial in DC, 2 days after a noose was foundin the African American museum. t.co/ainWAB6xtM
Rope was found at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington D.C. However, authorities have not revealed whether it was fashioned into a noose.
The rope was found at the MLK memorial just two days after the noose was found at the African-American history museum. “The piece of rope was found on a bench at the memorial on near the National Mall. A visitor turned it in at the memorial’s bookstore,” reported USA Today.
Washington D.C. Construction Site
A noose was found at a construction site near Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington D.C., a WUSA reporter tweeted on June 2.
It’s not the first time that nooses have turned up at Washington D.C. construction sites. In 2016, a worker quit his job after two nooses were found at construction sites.
American University
Bananas tied to noose are found around American University campus t.co/wglAh3QM4s
According to The Chicago Tribune, “Bananas tied to nooses were discovered at American University in Washington last month, while a noose was found at the nearby University of Maryland and a suburban middle school in Crofton, Maryland.”
In the American University incident, reported CNN, “A person dressed in black from head to toe walked around the American University campus and tied bananas to three trees. They were hung from strings fashioned in the shape of nooses. The bananas were scrawled with the letters ‘AKA Free.’ AKA, or Alpha Kappa Alpha, is a predominately African-American sorority.”