African American History

“From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya With Ayana V. Jackson” is currently on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art through April 2024 (above: When the Spirit of Kalunda Comes So Does Kianda, Ayana V. Jackson, 2018-2022).

Meet the Inhabitants of the Mythic World of Drexciya

Artist Ayana V. Jackson creates an undersea realm honoring those who jumped or were thrown overboard during the trans-Atlantic slave trade

Participants in a YWCA camp for girls in Highland Beach, Maryland, in 1930

When Private Beaches Served as a Refuge for the Chesapeake Bay's Black Elite

During the Jim Crow era, working-class Washingtonians' recreation options were far more limited—and dangerous

Costin may have been the child of Martha Washington’s son from her first marriage, John “Jacky” Parke Custis, and an enslaved woman.

Did Martha Washington Have a Black Grandson?

Likely the child of Martha's son from her first marriage, William Costin used his position to advocate for D.C.'s free Black community

The National Genealogical Society, based in Falls Church, Virginia, is one of the nation's oldest groups dedicated to ancestry.

National Genealogical Society Apologizes for 'Racist and Discriminatory' Past Actions

In a new report, the group reckons with its long history of racism and eugenicist beliefs

The exterior of Club Ebony, taken before the renovation

Club Ebony, Historic Stop Along the Chitlin Circuit, Reopens

The legendary Black-owned nightclub hosted the likes of Tina Turner, Ray Charles and more

The first step in the restoration process will be stabilizing the Tanner house's roof and walls.

Henry Ossawa Tanner Was One of the First World-Famous Black Artists. Now, His Home Is in Danger

The Philadelphia row house hosted generations of Black scholars and leaders

Tina Turner performing in Illinois in 1987

Tina Turner, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Left an Indelible Mark on Music History

The barrier-breaking singer, who died this week at 83, influenced countless musicians who followed in her footsteps

The only meeting between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X occured on March 26, 1964, at the U.S. Senate.

Martin Luther King Jr. Never Said Famous Quote Criticizing Malcolm X

One journalist's archival discovery is changing historians' understanding of the two civil rights leaders

Edna Lewis gathers ingredients in the garden behind Ellerslie Plantation west of Charlottesville, Virginia, 1975.

What Made Edna Lewis the Mother of Soul Food

The Virginia-born chef did more than anyone to elevate Southern food to haute cuisine

The exhibition "Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures," (above, right: A scene from the 2014 Ghanian short film "Afronauts") is on view through March 24, 2024, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History.

What Is Afrofuturism?

A new exhibition defines how artistry and activism over decades gave rise to the idea and promise of a future that could advance Black life

A view of Philadelphia's historic Chinatown

These Are America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual list spotlights cultural sites facing a range of threats

Minnesota has named a stretch of highway for Prince, seen here performing in 2015.

Minnesota Dedicates Highway to Prince

Drive your little red corvette down the stretch of road memorializing the state's favorite son

Willie Nelson is among the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 2023 honorees.

Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Kate Bush and More Join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

In recent years, the organization has been widening the definition of the genre

A Smithsonian staffer carries a horse from the carousel for transport to the restoration facility.

The Smithsonian’s Historic Carousel Undergoes Restoration

The artifact hails from a Baltimore community, where a young African American child became the face of desegregation when she took her ride in 1963

A view of the Coretta Scott King Peace and Meditation Garden and Monument on April 27, which would have been the civil rights leader's 96th birthday

Monument to Coretta Scott King Unveiled in Atlanta

Located at the King Center, the new memorial honors a legacy that's often overlooked

Descendants of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and descendants of slaves owned by Lee face Washington, DC, as they pose for a photo during a reunion at Lee's former plantation home, the Arlington House, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on April 22, 2023.

The Descendants of Robert E. Lee and the Workers He Enslaved Join Hands in Racial Reconciliation

The Confederate general's Virginia home hosted families from all across the United States.

Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer was the most challenged book in 2022, according to the American Library Association.

American Library Association Names 2022’s Most Banned Books

As book censorship soared, titles with LGBTQ themes were the most targeted

A 1960 portrait of Harry Belafonte 

Harry Belafonte, Groundbreaking Singer, Songwriter and Activist, Dies at 96

A Smithsonian curator reviews Belafonte’s legacy, from breaking racial barriers in the entertainment industry to 70 years of civil rights activism

Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Selma, Alabama

The House Where Martin Luther King Jr. Planned Civil Rights Marches Is Moving to Michigan

The historic home also hosted the likes of W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington

Excavations at Oaklawn Cemetery in downtown Tulsa have revealed 62 unmarked graves, some of which may be linked to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

New DNA Analysis Could Help Identify Victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre

Experts have linked six genetic profiles sequenced from exhumed remains to 19 potential surnames in seven states

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