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Museum Chairs

The National Museum of African American History and Culture Council last week elected as co-chairmen Richard Parsons, chairman of the Board and CEO of Time Warner Inc., and Linda Johnson Rice, president and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company Inc., which publishes EBONY and JET magazines.

Parsons and Rice were elected to one-year terms during the newly formed council’s second meeting. Other board members include television host Oprah Winfrey, music producer Quincy Jones and BET Founder and CEO Robert Johnson.

At its meeting, the council received updates on the Smithsonian’s collections and on an ongoing site-evaluation study for the planned museum of African American history. The Smithsonian Board of Regents is expected to select one of four potential locations by early next year.

The council also toured the exhibit “Close Up in Black: African American Film Posters,” which is now on display in the Smithsonian’s International Gallery. Thirteen of the council’s 19 members were in attendance.

The council was established by the museum’s authorizing legislation to advise the Regents on the planning, design, administration, budgeting and operation of the museum, among other issues.

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