When the fences around the White House came down at the end of this week, so too, did a tapestry of a moment in history.

In the immediate days of protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the White House erected barriers and fencing around its perimeter.

Protesters in D.C. used the barriers as a blank canvas, over time, attaching signs, stories, and other items as they called on the president and national leaders to address racial and systemic injustice.

Which is what brought a rapid response team from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to Lafayette Square.

“My most important priority right now would be to make sure this memory doesn’t get lost,” said Aaron Bryant, one of the curators at the museum.

Bryant told NY1 that the team wanted to preserve the memories in order to better tell the ongoing story of the nation. 

“We really do believe that history at our museum is not just about the past, but it’s also about the present and the future," he said. "So we’ve always looked at contemporary movements, contemporary events, and contemporary figures as people who represent moments of history.”

The team spent hours interviewing protesters, hearing stories, and collecting artifacts.

At some point down the road, Bryant says this moment in American history will need to be told.

“We may not think of history as moments and figures that are historical at the moment,” said Bryant. “But most certainly, 50, 100, 200 years from now, people are going to be very glad that we were able to capture some of the memories, humanity, and the history of our present day.”

The team is seeking stories and artifacts from protests around the country. To share your story with the museum, contact them here: NMAAHCinfo@si.edu