National Museum of African American History and Culture
The History Behind a Slave's Bill of Sale
On a worn, aged piece of paper dated 1835, a judge describes the details of his sale: a 16-year-old girl named Polly, with "yellow complexion and black eyes," the sale and purchase of whom the judge says he will warrant and defend "at all cost."The Bill of Sale, as documents like this became known,...
May 24, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Muhammad Ali's Gear Headed to the Permanent Collections
It was 1964, and the famous heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali was preparing for one of his biggest fights: the battle against then-world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston.Liston was clearly the favored fighter. He held 7 to 1 odds against Ali, still known by his given name, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr...
May 20, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
The Apollo Theater Celebrated
Named for the Greek god of music, New York's Apollo Theater has been a pantheon of American talent for almost 100 years. Built in 1914 in the heart of Harlem, the theater rose to prominence in the mid-1930s as a showcase for African American performers, offering aspiring artists a springboard to br...
April 23, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
JAM: Jazz Appreciation Month at Smithsonian
Jazz Appreciation Month is in full swing Around the Mall and Beyond! Check out a schedule of upcoming events below or download a PDF for additional information.Tuesday, April 6CONCERTAn Evening with Jon Hendricks. James Zimmerman, Emcee7:30 pm, Howard University, Andrew Rankin Memorial ChapelWedn...
April 06, 2010 |
By Jamie Simon
Harriet Tubman Artifacts Donated to the Smithsonian
The last time Harriet Tubman heard the African American spiritual, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," was in the final hours of her life, as friends and family gathered around her and sang the song to "carry her home."Tubman (1822- 1913), an African American abolitionist and humanitarian who guided dozens...
March 11, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
The Scurlock Studio: Picture of Prosperity
For more than half a century the Scurlock Studio chronicled the rise of Washington's black middle class
February 2010 |
By David Zax
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
November 2009 |
By Abby Callard
Remembering Legendary Pitcher Satchel Paige
Larry Tye, author of a Satchel Paige biography, will join Lonnie Bunch, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Wil Haygood, Washington Post columnist, in a discussion about the famous pitcher at the Carmichael Auditorium of the National Museum of ...
September 08, 2009 |
By Abby Callard
African American History Museum to Receive Emmett Till's Casket
A glass-topped casket that once held the battered body of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy whose brutal 1955 murder in Mississippi galvanized the civil rights movement was donated last week to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The announcement was made Frid...
September 01, 2009 |
By Abby Callard
Social Satirist Dick Gregory Speaks at Folklife Festival
Comedian and social critic Dick Gregory will take to the stage Thursday, at 6 PM, at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's Oratorium stage. Gregory will speak with the Smithsonian's Lonnie G. Bunch, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as part of the festival's pr...
July 01, 2009 |
By Ashley Luthern
Hot Temps, Rhymes at Festival Keep Spoken Word Alive
Poet and hip-hop artist Toni Blackman brought her hot rhymes to an equally hot stage at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. As temperatures climbed into the upper 80s Thursday, Blackman read from her book of poetry, Inner Course: A Plea for Real Love.She also performed several spoken word pieces, a...
June 26, 2009 |
By Ashley Luthern
Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009 Passed by House of Representatives
"A fundamental principle of American democracy is that individuals should stand up for their rights and beliefs and fight for justice." ~ Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009.Yesterday, the House of Representatives unanimously agreed to fund a 5-year initiative to record oral and video historie...
April 23, 2009 |
By Joseph Caputo
Design Announced for National Museum of African American History and Culture
The design concept of Foster + Partners/URS Group, Inc. may have claimed favorite in our readers' poll, but the stately, bronze structure submitted by architects Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup won the hearts of the official jury, charged with making the final decision about what the National Museum...
April 14, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Designs for National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Smithsonian Institution has revealed the six architectural designs vying to become the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The concepts—from boxy to spiral-shaped (like the inside of a conch shell, really), geometric to organic—certainly run the gamut. And there’s no shorta...
March 30, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Obama Campaign Office Acquired by NMAAHC
The Falls Church, Virginia, office provides record of a historic victory, now part of the collections
January 29, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
College Students To Debate Obama's Priorities at Inaugural Event
What should President-elect Barack Obama do in his first 100 days of office? Should he push for universal health care? Intervene in the Israel-Gaza conflict? Put forward legislation to create green jobs?These questions will be discussed by some of the nation’s top college debaters at The Inaugural ...
January 14, 2009 |
By Joseph Caputo
Remembering Greensboro
There’s nothing overtly impressive about the section of a luncheonette counter placed behind glass in a corner of the National Museum of American History’s temporary gallery ("Treasures of American History," on display at the Air and Space Museum while the NMAH gets a makeover).The padded vinyl se...
February 11, 2008 |
By admin
Trash Becomes Treasure
Shards of history turned up at the site of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture after a team of archaeologists spent three hot August weeks sifting through dirt as part of a mandated environmental impact study. The recovered artifacts, some pieces of pottery and lamps, ...
August 30, 2007 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
