African American History
The Fight to Legalize Gay Marriage, the Woman Who Couldn't Be Silenced and Other New Books to Read
These June releases elevate overlooked stories and offer insights on oft-discussed topics
When Watchmen Were Klansmen
While 'Watchmen' is a work of fiction, only a century ago, some law enforcement organizations were aligned with, and even controlled by, the Klan
The Highway That Sparked the Demise of an Iconic Black Street in New Orleans
Claiborne Avenue was a center of commerce and culture—until a federal interstate cut it off from the rest of the city in the 1960s
Remembering George Floyd and the Movement He Sparked
Kevin Young, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, reflects on the one-year anniversary of Floyd's killing
Georgia Approves Changes to Stone Mountain Park, 'Shrine to White Supremacy'
The site's board authorized the creation of a truth-telling exhibit, a new logo and a relocated Confederate flag plaza
Remembering Tulsa
A century ago, a murderous mob attacked the most prosperous Black community in the nation. This is the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre
Reflections on the Artifacts Left Behind From the Tulsa Race Massacre
Objects and documents, says the Smithsonian historian Paul Gardullo, offer a profound opportunity for reckoning with a past that still lingers
Maya Angelou, Sally Ride to Be Among First Women Featured on U.S. Quarters
Between 2022 and 2025, the U.S. Mint is set to highlight up to 20 trailblazing American women
Stephanie St. Clair, Harlem's 'Numbers Queen,' Dominated the Gambling Underground and Made Millions
In the 1930s, the enigmatic figure ran an illegal lottery while championing New York City's Black community
You Can Thank Black Horticulturist Booker T. Whatley for Your CSA
Long written out of the narrative, the Tuskegee University professor first introduced the concept in the 1960s as a solution for struggling Black farmers
How the Public Helped Historians Better Understand What Happened at Tulsa
A century after the massacre of a prosperous Black community, Smithsonian volunteers transcribed nearly 500 pages of vital records in less than 24 hours
Baseball's Leading Lady Championed Civil Rights and Empowered Black Athletes
Effa Manley advocated for Black rights as a Negro Leagues team owner in the 1930s and '40s
The True History Behind Amazon Prime's 'Underground Railroad'
The adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel reimagines the eponymous trail to freedom as an actual train track
This Monumental 'Oracle' Statue in NYC Subverts Traditional Sculpture
Part of an ongoing exhibition at Rockefeller Center, Sanford Biggers' newest installation challenges the tropes of classical artwork
Meet Benjamin Banneker, the Black Scientist Who Documented Brood X Cicadas in the Late 1700s
A prominent intellectual and naturalist, the Maryland native wrote extensively on natural phenomena and anti-slavery causes
This Yacht Trafficked Enslaved Africans Long After the Slave Trade Was Abolished
New exhibition in Louisiana details the story of the "Wanderer," the penultimate ship to illegally transport enslaved people into the U.S.
How Norman Granz Revolutionized Jazz for Social Justice
Often remembered for his artful management of legendary jazz musicians, but Granz also saw the potential for themusic to combat racial inequality
African Europeans, Jewish Commandos of WWII and Other New Books to Read
These May releases elevate overlooked stories and offer insights on oft-discussed topics
Museum Kept Bones of Black Children Killed in 1985 Police Bombing in Storage for Decades
Outrage erupted over the revelation that the likely remains of two young victims were held in and studied at Ivy League institutions
Site of Harriet Tubman's Lost Maryland Home Found After Decades-Long Search
The Underground Railroad conductor's father, Ben Ross, received the land where the cabin once stood in the early 1840s
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