By Lauren Farberman
Staff Writer
Mira Costa junior Michai Clinton and his family have turned a violent event into history by sharing their story in an exhibit at the National African American History Museum.
The Clinton family’s Manhattan Beach home was firebombed in February 2015, and the police suspected the incident was an arson attack. The Clinton family came to the conclusion that it had been a racist attack. In the months leading to the firebombing of their home, drug paraphernalia, such as cigarettes, had been left on the Clintons’ porch. This trash further convinced the family that the person(s) who committed the crime had racist intentions.
This event received national attention in the form of news coverage and a vigil held by hundreds of supporters.
“When I awoke to the flames, I didn’t originally think it was a racist act,” Clinton said. “After learning about the paraphernalia, I had to consider it even though it was hard to believe.”
The National African American History Museum reached out to the Clinton family to make a documentary about the crime in May 2015. The Smithsonian Corporation is building the National African American History Museum in Washington, D.C., and is heading the project. The corporation was able to learn about the Clinton family’s home fire because Clinton’s mother, Malissia Clinton, works for Aerospace, an engineering company that is partners with the Smithsonian Corporation.
“Aerospace was extremely helpful to my family in the six months it took for us to recover and settle back into our home,” Michai Clinton said. “Their support reminded me that everything would be alright.”
The National African American History Museum will not open until this September, but the Clintons were offered to visit the museum before its opening for an exclusive tour and to watch the documentary about their family.
“Touring the museum was a recognition of fortitude and courage,” Malissia Clinton said. “It was yet another demonstration of the tremendous support we have received from this experience.”
The documentary summarizes the firebombing and how the Clinton family both reacted and recovered from it. Michai Clinton was not available to film for the documentary that will be shown in the museum, but his interview from Costa’s Mustang Morning News program was used as footage in the family documentary.
“It makes me feel really appreciated that this documentary has been made,” Michai Clinton said. “I realize that what happened to my family was probably racially motivated, and it is good that what happened is being recognized.”
During the Clintons’ trip to the National African American History Museum, the Clintons also discussed the possibility of displaying the Clintons’ damaged door, which was the first part of their house that caught fire during the attack. After the family’s visit, their door was shipped out to the museum where it will remain until the museum’s opening. While it is still undecided whether or not the door will go into an exhibit, the Clinton family feels that the possibility is an honor, Michai Clinton said.
“It is awesome that our door may go into the museum,” Michai Clinton said. “What happened was shocking because it is 2016 and racist acts like this are unexpected, but it’ll go down in history.”
Once the museum opens, the documentary of the Clintons will be featured in a series called “Not In Our Town.” The show includes multiple stories about hate and bullying in an effort to stop them.
“This whole experience has been heartwarming and sobering,” Malissia Clinton said. “Our door will now serve as a sign of perseverance, but it is sobering because it reminds us that racism is alive and well.”
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