Obama Helps Break Ground on Black History Museum

President Barack Obama says a new national black history museum will help future generations remember the sometimes difficult — often inspirational — role that African-Americans have played in the nation's history.

Obama made the comments today during the groundbreaking for the museum, which will tell the history of black life, art and culture. The museum will be located on the National Mall in the capital city and is scheduled to open in 2015.

The museum "has been a long time coming," he said.

And he said it is fitting that the museum will be built on the National Mall, where slaves were once traded and hundreds of thousands of people marched for jobs and freedom.