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In a live-streamed Smithsonian Associates program on September 23, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Alan Alda discuss the intricacies of the virus that has held the public in sway since March.

Smithsonian Voices

Anthony Fauci and Alan Alda Talk Science and 26 Other Smithsonian Programs Streaming in September

This month drop in on events about global climate justice, Picasso’s ‘Guernica,’ bird brains, the Supreme Court, William Faulkner, orchids and more

After joining the Navy at age 17, Anthony D'Acquisto served aboard the U.S.S. Randolph, participating in the Battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

See 12 Stunning Portraits of World War II Veterans

Photographer Zach Coco has spent the past five years documenting more than 100 men and women’s stories

On December 17, 1979, motorcyclist Arthur McDuffie was murdered by police, who were later acquitted. Nearly 5,000 people convene in downtown Miami to protest.

The Long, Painful History of Racial Unrest

A lethal incident of police brutality in Miami in 1979 offers just one of countless examples of the reality generations of African Americans have faced

The Bucks refused to take the floor in protest of ongoing police brutality and racial injustice across America. All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday were subsequently postponed and the strike quickly spread to the to other sports leagues.

Athletes Shut Down Sports to Protest Police Brutality

A sports curator at the Smithsonian provides his thoughts on the past and future implications of the events of the week

Destruction by fire of Pennsylvania Hall, the new building of the Abolition Society, on the night of the May 17, 1838

How the Myth of a Liberal North Erases a Long History of White Violence

Anti-black racism has terrorized African Americans throughout the nation’s history, regardless of where in the country they lived

Emilio Sanchez with children in Puerto Rico, 1964. Emilio Sanchez papers, 1922-2012.

Smithsonian Voices

How the Desolate Architectural Paintings of Emilio Sanchez Were Crafted From the Artist’s Travel Snapshots

In the Archives of American Art, a scholar pieces together the Cuban-born painter’s complex artistic practice

The age-of-consent campaigns of the 1880s and 1890s represent a vital yet little-known chapter in the history of suffrage.

100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box

What Raising the Age of Sexual Consent Taught Women About the Vote

Before many women could vote in the United States, they lobbied male legislators to change statutory rape laws and gained political skills in the process

A Brief History of the Mason Jar

Around since 1858, the home canning classic is a sought after item for pandemic gardeners this summer

An Indigenous couple marries on the beach at Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park, jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Maryland Park Service.

Smithsonian Voices

How Native Americans Bring Depth of Understanding to the Nation’s National Parks

On National Parks Founders Day, the museum looks at the changing relationship between Native Americans and the National Park Service

Audrey Flack, Spitfire, 1973, acrylic on canvas, 73 x 110.5 inches, Gift of Stuart M. Speiser from the Stuart M. Speiser Photorealist Collection

Smithsonian Voices

Take a Deep Dive Into This Awesome Example of 1970s Photorealism

Smithsonian’s Carolyn Russo says to study this 1973 artwork by photorealist painter Audrey Flack is like looking at a plane spotting puzzle

The Norse system of thralldom was not always complete chattel slavery, but most of the enslaved had little agency.

The Little-Known Role of Slavery in Viking Society

A new book looks at the legendary Scandinavians through their own eyes

For nearly four decades, Alexander has lived on various heating grates in Southwest D.C., which is why he introduced himself as “Alexander the Grate.”

A Street-Wise Philosopher Explains What It Means to Be Homeless Amid the Pandemic

Smithsonian Folklorist James Deutsch interviews the Washington D.C. man, “Alexander the Grate,” about living in the “interstices of the infrastructure”

“The postal service is one of the oldest federal agencies,” says Daniel Piazza, a curator of philately at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. “Maybe for that reason, we tend to take it for granted. But we have always relied on it, whether for news from home, prescription medications or e-commerce.”

A Brief History of the United States Postal Service

To forge a nation, the founders needed an efficient communications network

Ruth Law stands in front of her Wright Model B biplane at the New York State Fair, Yonkers, 1913.

Smithsonian Voices

Suffragists Took to the Skies

At the Air and Space Museum, the archives reveal touch on how women aviators advanced the suffrage movement

Civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer's searing speech about the brutality she'd endured because, as a voting rights activist, she wanted black Americans "to become first-class citizens," made primetime before the 1964 DNC officially kicked off.

100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box

Fannie Lou Hamer’s Dauntless Fight for Black Americans’ Right to Vote

The activist did not learn about her right to vote until she was 44, but once she did, she vigorously fought for black voting rights

This mural from the collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture comprises 12 painted plywood panels. It was originally created and displayed in the Resurrection City encampment on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. during the summer of 1968. Resurrection City activists filled the boards of the 32-foot-long wall with slogans, quotes and art.

Taking a Closer Look at a Mural From 1968’s Resurrection City

A makeshift wall in Washington, D.C. speaks to a heroic struggle to overcome inequality

Amelia Earhart mounted publicity stunts to earn money for her flights.

Ask Smithsonian

How Did Amelia Earhart Raise the Money for Her Flights?

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Fred Newton promotes his record-breaking journey.

The Man Who Swam the Full Length of the Mississippi River

How Fred Newton found himself neck-deep in history

Karen Orozco Gutierrez and Ann Banks returned to Alabama to visit the area where Banks' ancestors had enslaved people, including Orozco Gutierrez's ancestor Milton.

Two Women, Their Lives Connected by American Slavery, Tackle Their Shared History

One descended from an enslaver, the other from the people he enslaved. Together, they traveled to the Deep South to learn their families’ pasts

Meroe, 150 miles north of Khartoum, served as a necropolis for the kings and queens of Kush for close to 600 years.

Why Sudan’s Remarkable Ancient Civilization Has Been Overlooked by History

The African nation’s pyramids and other archaeological sites are only now emerging from the shadow of its more storied neighbor to the north

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