Author and scholar Carter G. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915. The son of former slaves, Woodson created the first Negro History Week in 1926 to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Fifty years later, the association designated the first Black History Month.
In honor of this year's celebration, explore the story behind Emmit Till's casket or an unknown pioneer in medical research and discover the history of Motown and World War II Buffalo Soldiers. Tune into Hazel Scott's blend of jazz and classical music, and learn about Black History Month celebrations at the Smithsonian and the around the country.
An Ancestry of African-Native Americans
Using government documents, author Angela Walton-Raji traced her ancestors to the slaves owned by American Indians
By Katy June-Friesen
Henrietta Lacks’ ‘Immortal’ Cells
Journalist Rebecca Skloot’s new book investigates how a poor black tobacco farmer had a groundbreaking impact on modern medicine
By Sarah Zielinski
Emmett Till's Casket Goes to the Smithsonian
Simeon Wright recalls the events surrounding his cousin's murder and the importance of having the casket on public display
By Abby Callard
Motown Turns 50
For years, the recording industry excluded black artists. Along came Motown, and suddenly everyone was singing its tunes
By Marian Smith Holmes
The Changing Definition of African-American
How the great influx of people from Africa and the Caribbean since 1965 is challenging what it means to be African-American
By Ira Berlin
Memoirs of a World War II Buffalo Soldier
In a recently published memoir written over 60 years ago, veteran James Daugherty details his experiences as an African-American in combat
By Abby Callard
EXPLORE MORE SMITHSONIAN COVERAGE OF BLACK HISTORY HERITAGE
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Hazel Scott’s Lifetime of High Notes
She began her career as a musical prodigy and ended up breaking down racial barriers in the recording and film industries
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Lester Young Turns 100
Billie Holiday’s favorite musician, jazz great Lester “Prez” Young brought a hip, freewheeling sensibility to his saxophone playing
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A Jazzed-Up Langston Hughes
A long-forgotten poem about the African-American experience is given new life in a multimedia performance featuring singer Jessye Norman
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The Kentucky Derby’s Forgotten Jockeys
African American jockeys once dominated the track. But by 1921, they had disappeared from the Kentucky Derby and would not return for nearly eighty years
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Videos
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The Scurlocks and Black WashingtonFor over 80 years, the Scurlock photography studio catalogued the lives of the black middle class of Washington, D.C. |
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A Mix of Classical and JazzIn a performance filmed for World War II soldiers, Hazel Scott begins with a section from Bizet's Carmen and ends with a jazzy tune |
Sounds of America
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Freedom Songs of the U.S. Civil Rights MovementListen to our new streaming music program, "Sounds of America." To celebrate Black History Month, we're featuring freedom songs from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s |
