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Met Stories: Belonging

Dariel Vasquez shares the story of his first visit to The Met, on a class trip with his professor Teju Cole.

Watch episode eleven of Met Stories in which Dariel Vasquez, the co-founder and executive director of Brothers@, describes how he didn’t feel welcome at The Met, even though he grew up in nearby Harlem. His first visit was on a class trip, and seeing the confidence and enthusiasm of his professor Teju Cole, a fellow Black man, at the front of the class dramatically transformed the discomfort he felt into a sense of belonging.

Made for The Met's 150th anniversary, Met Stories is an award-winning video series and year-long social media initiative that shared unexpected and compelling stories gathered from the many people who visit The Met, whether artists, teachers, curators, actors, Museum staff, designers, thought-leaders, or public figures.

Do you have a Met Story? Share it with us.


Contributors

Dariel Vasquez

Composite image with Tim Gunn in a blue pin striped suit on the right, with an image of an Egyptian sphinx and gold sandals on the left
Video
Tim Gunn sees fashion history in art at The Met.
Tim Gunn
January 6, 2020
Video
Independent curator and art historian Lowery Stokes Sims talks about her role in bringing diversity to The Met collection of contemporary art.
Lowery Stokes Sims
February 7, 2020
Yotam Ottolenghi sitting in the garden at The Met Cloisters
Video
Chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi speaks about how food and art can create community.
Yotam Ottolenghi
February 7, 2020