Former first lady Laura Bush and President Barack Obama will celebrate the groundbreaking for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The new national museum will showcase black life, art, and history on the National Mall. On Wednesday, the Smithsonian Institution announced that Obama will speak at the groundbreaking event on Feb. 22 that will be hosted by actress Phylicia Rashad.
The former first lady serves on the advisory council with Quincy Jones, Oprah Winfrey, and others. The museum site, which is near the Washington Monument, is already under construction. Congress pledged to contribute half the cost of the $500 million museum project. Officials reported that the museum is projected to open in 2015.
