Oprah Winfrey is giving $12 million to help build the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, the museum announced on Tuesday.
The planned $500 million museum is being constructed on a five-acre site next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall.
In recognition of Ms. Winfrey’s gift, the museum’s theater is to be named the Oprah Winfrey Theater.
“The theater’s programs will enable audiences to gain a broader understanding of how African American history and culture shape and enrich the country and the world,” the Smithsonian said in a statement. It said the “theater will be a forum in the nation’s capital for performers, artists, educators, scholars, authors, musicians, filmmakers and opinion leaders”, said Winfrey.
The museum is due to open in late 2015.
