It is necessary to note that uscis has various functions, which include applications for refugee status, processing of visa petitions by immigrants, processing of naturalization petitions and adjudication services among others. It is noted that the body has the responsibility of dealing with all matters that relate to immigrants and their applications to stay in the country. This body has a court of its own, where immigrants are heard and their cases adjudicated upon. The court systems talked about here include the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Immigration Court. These courts are there to review decisions that have been made by the USCIS. The most noteworthy thing to note about this body is that, it is under the Department of Homeland Security in the United States.

The main goal of the uscis is to process applications as fast as possible, and to ensure that exceptional customer service is given to all who seek the services of the body. In addition, the body also seeks to reduce case backlog by providing its services through various avenues, where people can go to check on the status of their applications. The channels put in place to provide customer service include the internet, the National Customer Service Center or NCSC and the Application Support Centers or ASCs. It should be noted that all these channels offer services in various languages, including Spanish and English. This is done to ensure that there is effective communication.

All information about USCIS can be accessed from their official website, which is USCIS.gov. This site was officially opened in 2009, and it exists to provide information to customers and immigrants who need it.

Customers or immigrants who have handed in their applications for various reasons are often given case numbers. These are the numbers that they will need to check on information about their applications. In the past, applications often took long, but uscis is trying to ensure that all applications are processed in the shortest time possible. Today, you do not need to go to USCIS offices to check on the status of your application, since this can be done on the internet. All you need to have is your case number, and you are good to go. Just access the official website above and enter your USCIS case number.

It is essential to note that the site can also be used to check on the status of many case numbers at the same time. After typing in the numbers of the cases, you will be provided with the information required.

Art Exhibit

Learning about slavery is not completely cut and dry. We all know that what went on was disgusting and that the entire slave trade was a tragedy, but everything you need to know is not going to be contained in an art exhibit. Although the art that has been created over the years do a good job of expressing the cruelty of the slave traders and owners, the hopelessness that many slaves felt for centuries, and the joy that beamed from their faces when they received news of emancipation, the entire story can’t be told through an art exhibit, there is too much else contributing to the story. This is why when you go to a slavery museum, there is so much information available to visitors. You do not simply walk around in an art exhibit at a slavery museum, and here are some of the reasons why.

1. Read about experiences – At a slavery museum, you may get a chance to read first hand accounts of the struggle. During the centuries of slavery, there were many slaves that actually kept diaries and journals of their daily activities, their innermost feelings, and how they deal with their issues. This type of intimate detail is not something you can find while browsing through an art exhibit. This is one of the best reasons why someone should visit a slavery museum.

2. Education – When visiting a slavery museum you will find many well informed curators as well as employees that can educate you about the time period. Not only will they explain paintings and drawings in an art exhibit, but they may tell you little known interesting facts about the artists, the people depicted in the works, and the stories behind the art as well. While an art exhibit gives you a better understanding about the emotions running during this time, visiting a slavery museum will give you the background information as well.

3. Speak about issues – Although it has not been constructed yet, the United States Slavery Museum is going to have a rather unique aspect to it. Not only will they be educating the public and providing an art exhibit, they will also have the slavery museum act as a gathering place for people to discuss important and sometimes controversial issues. There is no doubt that the art exhibit is going to be a large draw for people, but hopefully people will also use the forum to open up lines of dialogue.

Visiting a slavery museum is going to be a very educational experience, no matter who you are. There are many knowledgeable people that are employed by these institutions that can teach you a lot about art and African American history in general. Also, the art exhibit will certainly have a number of beautiful paintings, drawings, sculptures and more that all visitors can look through.

Learning Slavery History

It is interesting how many artworks depict different time periods of slavery history in an art museum. Almost every major event has some type of art that commemorates it or shows the emotion of the slavery history event in a very palpable way. Going to an art museum can teach a visitor about key points of more than two centuries of oppression that African Americans had to suffer through in this country, and learning about what happened is very important for everyone, no matter your age, race, or gender. Below are some of the scenes of slavery history that were immortalized by giving them a place in an art museum.

1. The Slave Ship – Painted by J.M.W. Turner and first officially displayed, likely in an art museum, in 1840, The Slave Ship showed an essential part of slavery history that all slaves had to go through. The painting depicted the long journey over the Atlantic Ocean that had to be made by slave traders and slaves. Many of the people that were transported on this ship faced sickness or death during the long journey, and Turner’s painting showed the indifference toward human life shown by slave traders as they simply threw the sickly and deceased overboard.

2. Cattle Boy – Not all artworks showing slavery history are centuries old and hanging in an art museum somewhere. There are plenty of contemporary artists that choose to express themselves or their ancestral heritage by creating art that depicts slavery history. Cattle Boy is a painting that shows young African American boys working with cattle, as many young slaves did that type of work. This work was created by Teresa Harris, and you do not have to visit an art museum to see it. In fact, it is on sale right now if you would like to have a piece of slavery history to view for yourself.

3. Southern Plantation Slaves Being Freed – This was a drawing by Thomas Nast, a staunch supporter of both Abraham Lincoln and civil rights during the Civil War. He made several draws that depicted different aspects of slavery history, the war, and the emancipation of the slaves. This particular drawing shows Union soldiers freeing slaves from a plantation, and the gratitude that the newly freed African Americans felt. Viewing Thomas Nast originals does not take a trip to an art museum either, several of his drawings are on sale. Viewing all of his works side by side can really give you a good idea about slavery history. Hopefully the Nast collection will be displayed in an art museum at some point in the future.

These three works of art are nowhere near the total amount of paintings and drawings that depict slavery history. Find out more by researching these artists or visiting an art museum that contains slavery art exhibits, increasing your knowledge on these subjects can give you a better understanding about the pain that your fellow humans have suffered through.

Museum Exhibit

Most of the world participated in the slave trade at some point, that is a fact. Now, after slavery is no longer a part of the mainstream and illegal in almost every part of the world, all that is left to remind us about the struggle is art. That is why there has been a museum exhibit in several prominent galleries, making knowledge of the emotions and pain felt by slaves available to anybody that chooses to take a peek into their world. Whether the art was created by slaves, or a hundred years after by artists trying to remind people about these times, a museum exhibit is a great place to learn more about our history on this planet. Here are some of the places that have a museum exhibit that displays slavery art.

1. London, Sugar & Slavery – This is a museum exhibit located in London, England that examines London’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. It is a permanent museum exhibit that is meant to be thought provoking. The art that is displayed is located in a sugar warehouse setting and has inspired others to create art that is in the same vein as this museum exhibit. Their online web page includes more information about London, Sugar & Slavery and has maps that detail the city’s involvement in slavery.

2. Transatlantic Slave Gallery – This is yet another museum exhibit that could be found in England. It was a part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, but is no longer running because of its popularity. The art that was found in the gallery became such a phenomenon that the museum exhibit actually helped form an entire museum. The new museum goes by the name of The International Slavery Museum. Now people are able to go through and view an entire building filled with art dealing with slavery all over the world.

3. Slavery in New York – Many people were under the impression that slavery only took place down south, but that was just not true. This museum exhibit shows that not only was there slavery in the north, but New York was actually a large hub for the slave trade. This gallery does not just have art either. There are legal documents, business transactions, and newspapers on display. Some of the pieces of art that are there for viewing are wire sculptures of settlers, recordings, and dramatizations of slave life.

Even though only the United States and England were mentioned here, there were slaves in nearly every country at some point in history. Viewing some of the art that came from the deep emotions of slavery is an experience that many do not soon forget. Find a museum in your local area that you can visit and learn more about our history, as well as how poorly some people were treated by others in the past.

The Slave Market

All over the world there has been artwork that deals with difficult subjects. Sometimes, when something is considered taboo or it is just too hard to open up lines of dialogue, artwork is used to express these thoughts and feelings. One example of depicting struggle is slavery art, which has been created by many cultures and countries that have had these tragic situations brought upon them. Slavery art comes in many forms, whether it is paintings, sculptures, pottery, or any other kind of art. Here is some of the artwork that has been created in the past by some of these cultures. Hopefully their slavery art helped them to better understand the times and served as a healing agent to them.

1. Bussa Emancipation Statue – This is a sculpture that is displayed publicly in Barbados. The artwork depicts a slave rebellion leader, although a specific person was not intended to be shown. Many residents of Barbados refer to the statue as Bussa because of a slave that helped start a revolution in the island-nation in 1816. The slavery art was sculpted by Karl broodhagen in 1985 to represent freedom and the breaking of chains. The artwork was created nearly 169 years after the revolution occurred, but the slavery art is still a very powerful symbol to not only Barbados residents, but to the entire world.

2. The Slave Market – This is a work of slavery art that was painted in the 19th century. The artwork depicts a Roman slave auction and shows just how disgusting these businesses were. Many people, young and old, male and female, are all lined up waiting to be sold to their new potential owners. Artist Gustave Boulanger painted this slavery art to give viewers the opportunity to feel the fear and shame that the people that were actually sold felt. It is believed that many of the people shown in this artwork were likely intended to be family members that were all forced to become slaves together.

3. The Slave Ship – Another painting that is considered to be slavery art, this shows the cruelty and indifference towards human life that was shown by those that sailed slave ships. The artwork depicts how dying and dead slaves would simply be tossed overboard into the ocean so that the problem was no longer theirs to worry about. This type of slavery art makes you wonder if the people that ran these slave ships felt emotion at all. The artwork was created by J.M.W. Turner and was first publicly displayed in 1840.

All of this artwork can really be touching in many ways. The joys of emancipation and the feelings of hopelessness are captured very well in works of slavery art. Hopefully they will remain available to generations to come so that they may continue to remind us about the pain and torture that our world’s past inhabitants were subjected to.

Slavery Museum

The need for a museum to house depictions of American slavery exists in a major way. What African Americans in this country went through for multiple centuries is mind boggling, and having a museum to remember the pain and anguish that was felt during these times can help assure that it never happens again. There are quite a few museums that have dedicated themselves to memorializing the struggle, as well as providing insight into African American history. Here are just a few of the museums that include slavery as one of their main focal points.

1. Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum – This museum, as their name suggests, does not only deal with slavery. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, they also teach visitors about the history and culture of African descendants in this country (with its focus on the city itself), there is plenty of information about the civil rights movement, and the underground railroad’s role in the end of slavery as well.

2. African American Museum and Library at Oakland – This is another museum that increases awareness about a number of African American issues, with slavery being one of them. The library has entire archives that have collections of writings and speeches by or related to Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and many other key figures. The AAMLO has been around in one form or another since 1946.

3. America’s Black Holocaust Museum – This was created as a memorial for every single African American that suffered during the times of slavery. It was founded by James Cameron, a lynching survivor that just passed in 2006 for unrelated reasons. This museum has been dedicated to enlightening people about slavery has been around since 1988 and it can be found in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. People that visit the ABHM are educated about life in Africa before captivity, slavery of course, and problems that need to be dealt with today.

4. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History – Located in Detroit, this institution was founded in 1965. It is currently housing the world’s largest permanent exhibit about African American Culture. There are entire collections that can be found there that delve into issues such as the underground railroad. There is also a collection with tons of information about Harriet Tubman and the contributions she made to runaway slaves in need.

All of these museums are great examples of places that are dedicating their time and effort to educating the public about a period of time in American history that will not, and should not, be forgotten. As long as there are organizations that are out there trying to bring light to this subject, it will never be forgotten. Find out what museums are in your area so that you can educate yourself about the fight for rights and the bravery it took to make significant changes in this country.

U.S. Slavery Museum

The United States Slavery Museum has been proposed as a memorial that would be located in Washington D.C. at the downtown Mall. The idea has been mulled over for quite some time, and there has been a website dedicated to slavery museum since 2001. Slavery history is very important for all citizens of the U.S. to be familiar with, and this memorial will be doing its part to help this information reach the masses. Even though slavery history is a subject that may make people uncomfortable, it is still a part of our nation’s past and needs to be dealt with. Here are some of the top reasons why we should all support the United States Slavery Museum and spread the issue of slavery history as widely as possible.

1. Educate future generations – The citizens of the future will become more and more disconnected from slavery history with every single year that passes. We need to make sure that things like this never happen again in this country, and the slavery museum will be a valuable tool in assuring that much. As the famous philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Without slavery history continuing to be in the minds of our society, it is possible that we may revisit this dark time.

2. Leave the past behind – By erecting the U.S. Slavery Museum, our nation can begin the healing process that is desperately needed. While keeping slavery history in the light is very important, it is also imperative that we recognize that this did occur in the past. The national slavery museum will be a milestone that will represent us putting slavery history behind us. We can still learn from it, but the feelings of anger and hatred can finally be cast aside.

3. Open up lines of communication – As it stands right now, slavery history is considered somewhat of a taboo subject, but it does not have to be. The slavery museum will not only house pieces of art and artifacts that came from that time period, but it also will serve as a gathering place. People can go there to discuss issues of slavery, how it still affects people today, and what we can do to move forward.

Without educating people about slavery history, many will not understand the cruelty and inhumanity that took place during these centuries of oppression on our country’s soil. The United States Slavery Museum will be a great way to begin looking ahead while still keeping our eyes on the past. Slavery history is going to be something that our country will have to deal with for quite some time in the future, and avoiding the subject is simply not going to work. The slavery museum is currently taking donations so that this idea can be realized. Visit their website to find out more about the memorial and how you can help to make it happen.

Charge of the Buffalo Soldiers

Art can be a great way to express emotion, and can give people a good understanding of a time period or event, even if they are viewing the piece hundreds of years later. An example of this is the artwork of Thomas Nast, whose most famous art came about during the American Civil War. Nast was ahead of his time on a number of issues and that showed in many of his drawings. He was a very big supporter of Abraham Lincoln and his artwork played a significant role in the abolitionist movement. Here are some of his most famous works of art, depicting some of the most important parts of the Civil War and slavery in general.

1. Emancipated Slave Family – It is very interesting to see joy captured on a piece of paper or on a canvas, and this artwork does just that. It depicts a family reading about the Emancipation Proclamation and shows their reaction as they realize that they are finally free. This is a monumental moment in history that will be remembered forever because of the art dedicated to it. This particular artwork was drawn in 1863.

2. Southern Plantation Slaves Being Freed – This piece of art is an interesting Thomas Nast drawing. It shows Union soldiers at a southern plantation, there to free the slaves from captivity. If you look at the artwork, there are many slaves that are showing their gratitude to the soldiers by either tipping their hat or bowing. There are also women of the plantation that can be seen as well, with their husbands not depicted in the art since they are likely fighting in the war.

3. Charge of the Buffalo Soldiers – This is a very powerful work of art. Created in 1863, it depicts the black soldiers that fought in the Civil War after being freed. They were called buffalo soldiers and they made very large sacrifices so that the Union could remain as one and so that other slaves could be freed. Artwork such as this one can be very inspirational.

4. Injured Negro Soldier – This is an artwork that was drawn by Thomas Nast in 1865. The piece of art shows a black soldier in full Union garb, but he has lost a leg while in battle. This is the type of art that can really draw emotion from the viewer. These men were slaves for most of their lives and when they are finally freed, they choose to fight for the Union and end up wounded or dead. Artwork that depicts tragic situations can really give people an understanding of the gravity of war and this era in particular.

All of this artwork is very interesting and really gives some insight into the times. Thomas Nast was a very progressive man and chose to fight for the cause through his art. This period of history will be remembered forever partly because of his contributions.

Emancipated Slaves

Visiting a museum exhibit can teach people a lot more about history than many believe. Browsing through a museum exhibit can teach people about ancient Egyptian pharaohs, Roman rulers, and Greek philosophies. We do not have the ability to speak to people from the past, but we do have ways to understand their mindsets, struggles, and lives, and that is through the viewing and interpretation of art in a museum exhibit. Although the United States is a relatively young country, nearly half of its existence has been plagued by inhumanity. Because it was not that long ago, we still have a good idea about the awful and disgusting time of slavery, but in the future it may not be as clear as it is now. One way to preserve an understanding of that time period is through slavery art, which has gained quite a bit of popularity over the years. Below are some of the most famous pieces of slavery art available for viewing at a museum exhibit.

1. Abraham Lincoln and Emancipated Slaves – This piece of slavery art is a drawing that was created by Thomas Nast. It depicts a visit by Abraham Lincoln to Richmond, Virginia which was the capital of the Confederate States of America. Tons of newly emancipated slaves flooded the streets on the day after Richmond fell, and Thomas Nast was able to capture the hope that the free slaves had and the adoration for Lincoln who helped them gain their freedom. Being a very important work of slavery art, this drawing is likely to be found in a museum exhibit. Most will be prints of the original, but every museum exhibit can’t have the original for every slavery art piece.

2. The Color of Money – These were a series of slavery art works created by John W. Jones, and brought to light the number of slavery depictions that could be found printed onto Confederate currency. The small images found on the bills, such as a slave with a smile on his face carrying a container filled with cotton, were made much larger in these paintings. The slavery art that was derived from the pictures on Confederate money should be very interesting to see in one place on display at a museum exhibit, hopefully those paintings tour the country in the near future.

3. Portrait of Rip Van Dam – This slavery art was on display a few years ago at the Slavery in New York museum exhibit. Rip Van Dam was one of New York’s most successful merchants, but unfortunately he also partook in the trading of slaves. He is one of many that made fortunes due to the slave trade, and his image was shown in that museum exhibit so that people better understand the history of New York.

You will not always be able to find a museum exhibit with slavery art locally, some travel may be involved. The time and effort will be worth it though, to know more about American history, especially the dark periods.

Slavery Art

Having depictions of slavery in a museum has been controversial in the past, but teaching people about the cruelty that occurred in previous years is very important. This opinion is obviously shared by the many museums that exist in the world, because the number of works that are displayed in a slavery art exhibit in these museums is not a small amount by any means. For those that have an interest in seeing an art exhibit that is displaying many interesting works of art dealing in slavery, here are some of the places you can go to view them. See if there is a museum close to your area.

1. Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery, Inc. – This is a gallery has an art exhibit that shows African history, an art exhibit that teaches visitors about the underground railroad, an art exhibit that explains the contributions that were made by African Americans in the building of the United States, and many more. The museum is located in Sandy Spring, Maryland where it hosts many visitors for most of the year. They even host two open houses every year where fees are waived completely.

2. International Slavery Museum – This museum is located in Liverpool, and is famous all over the world. Admission is completely free, although donations are welcome. The museum helps people understand slavery of the past and how it affects culture today. There is an art exhibit that contains information or depictions of many of the most infamous international cases of slavery, as well as an art exhibit that depicts trafficking of men, women, and children. The museum is changing all the time so an art exhibit that is there one day may be gone the next.

3. The United States Slavery Museum – Not yet in construction, this building is a project that has been proposed by citizens that will be a very important site in Washington D.C. when it finally comes to be. Its main goal will be to put the subject of slavery in the forefront so that the healing process may begin. There is still a racial divide present in the United States, but with this gallery, hopefully the open wounds can close even just a little bit.

Visiting an art exhibit can be a very educational experience, but to actually get a hold of the benefits that these museums are providing, people should actually get out of their chairs and give them a visit. Much of the emotion and pain of slavery can be seen and felt through artwork, and it can be a very enlightening experience. There are many exhibits that can be found all over the United States, and many internationally as well. Contact some of your local museums to see if they have any of this artwork or if they will at some point in the future.