Visitors were hurried from a section of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American Heritage and Culture Wednesday when a noose was found on the grounds.

This was the second such incident in a week, as five days prior a noose was found on from a tree outside of the Smithsonian's Hirshorn Gallery, less than a mile away from the African American Museum. National Park police were on hand to investigate and removed the noose, and the exhibit gallery was reopened within three hours, according to Smithsonian officials.


"The noose has long represented a deplorable act of cowardice and depravity—a symbol of extreme violence for African Americans. Today's incident is a painful reminder of the challenges that African Americans continue to face," wrote founding museum director Lonnie Bunch, in a statement posted to the museum's Twitter account.

The museum, opened by President Obama in 2016, is the first dedicated solely to to the documentation and preservation of African American life, history, and culture. Contained within it's striking architecture are over 30,000 artifacts and featured exhibits on African-American history and contributions to the civil rights movement, the military, business, politics, sports and the arts.

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