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Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to publish a book and the first American woman to earn a living from her writing. This frontispiece engraving is held in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

Women Who Shaped History

The Multiple Truths in the Works of the Enslaved Poet Phillis Wheatley

In this endearing homage, poet-scholar drea brown finds ancestral and personal healing

Cegape or Strike the Kettle (Lakota, ca. 1841–?). Untitled painting, collected in 1893. North or South Dakota. 20/5176. Most large paintings of this kind focus on a single event, often a battle. This painting, made by a follower of Sitting Bull, shows warriors—figures on horseback carrying lances and shields—within the Lakota way of life.

Smithsonian Voices

How Lakota Values Endure 144 Years After the Battle of Little Bighorn

Following Custer’s defeat, tribal leaders made difficult decisions to ensure the safety of their people that continue today in the time of COVID-19

The National Museum of Natural History’s Lepidoptera collection holds up to half of the world's species of hawk moths, important pollinators for many wild ecosystems. There are over 1450 species of hawk moths in total on Earth.

Smithsonian Voices

Why Hawk Moths Are the Underdogs of the Pollinator World

These pollinators safeguard many habitats, visiting the rare and beautiful flowers of many native and endangered plants

Quaker Oats announced this week that it will retire the Aunt Jemima name and logo. "We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype," said a spokesperson in a statement.

Quaker Oats to Retire Aunt Jemima After Acknowledging Brand’s Origins as ‘Racial Stereotype’

The breakfast line’s rebranding arrives amid widespread protests against systemic racism and police brutality

Adrian Stevens (Ute/Shoshone–Bannock/San Carlos Apache) and Sean Snyder (Dine/Ute), a couple who regularly participate in powwows.

Smithsonian Voices

Native Americans Share LGBTQ Perspectives in Traditional Culture

In modern pan-Indian, the term, “Two Spirit,” refers to individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, transsexual or gender-fluid

Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In.”

Smithsonian Voices

Do Volcanoes Spew a Cooler Lava?

Smithsonian geologist Liz Cottrell has answers to your questions on black lava and the Earth’s molten outer core in the “Dr Is In” video series

Fatherhood can appear in a myriad of ways in art; one constant is love.

Fourteen Works of Art Portray the Bonds of Fatherhood Across Time and Culture

Celebrate Father’s Day with works pulled from the Smithsonian collections

Bats have harbored dangerous coronaviruses that crossed to humans, like SARS-CoV-2.

Covid-19

These Scientists Hunt for Viruses in Animals Before They Strike Humans

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers were searching for potential human pathogens in wild animals. They’ve found thousands

Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Hosea Williams and other members of the SCLC Poor People's Campaign march through the lunar lander exhibit at Kennedy Space Center before the launch of Apollo 11.

Smithsonian Voices

How Space Exploration and the Fight For Equal Rights Clashed Then and Now

Smithsonian curator Margaret Weitekamp reflects on the historic parallel between 2020 and 1969

Monitor local animal populations, identify plants, transcribe women astronomers' notes, bird-watch and more.

Education During Coronavirus

Seventy-Five Scientific Research Projects You Can Contribute to Online

From astrophysicists to entomologists, many researchers need the help of citizen scientists to sift through immense data collections

Cookbook author Lena Richard (above with her daughter and sous chef Marie Rhodes) was the star of a 1949 popular 30-minute cooking show, airing on New Orleans' WDSU-TV.

Meet Lena Richard, the Celebrity Chef Who Broke Barriers in the Jim Crow South

Lena Richard was a successful New Orleans-based chef, educator, writer and entrepreneur

Recommendations include Things That Make White People Uncomfortable, Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America and The Making of Black Revolutionaries: A Personal Account.

Race in America

Smithsonian Scholars and Researchers Share Works That Shed Light on the History of U.S. Racism

In this dynamic time, a list of film, podcasts and books is offered for a nation grappling with its fraught history

A concrete and powerful way to talk to children about race is activating children’s literature, which can be a great tool for sparking discussion with a child.

Twelve Books to Help Children Understand Race, Anti-Racism and Protest

Literature is just one part of fostering positive sense of self and others, say educators at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

As the ocean continues to warm, scientists look to the past for answers on how to manage today’s environmental problems.

Smithsonian Voices

This Climate Detective Reconstructs What the Ocean Was Like Millions of Years Ago

Yet, the biggest concern, says Smithsonian curator Brian Huber, is how rapidly the ocean has changed in the past few decades

When the Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, first saw the new image of Harriet Tubman (above, detail), she said: "She's young!"

Why Harriet Tubman’s Heroic Military Career Is Now Easier to Envision

The strong, youthful visage of the famed underground railroad conductor is the subject of the Portrait Gallery’s podcast “Portraits”

The first #BlackBirdersWeek celebrates Black birders and nature enthusiasts while inspiring more conservation-curious to join their community.

Smithsonian Voices

Meet the Organizers of #BlackBirdersWeek

Many of us had shared experiences of racism while being black outdoors, say Ashley Gary, Sheridan Alford, Chelsea Connor and Joseph Saunders

To help people enter into conversations "in ways that are fruitful," says Spencer Crew, the interim director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, a new online portal "Talking About Race" is now available.

How to Have That Tough Conversation About Race, Racism and Racial Identity

The Smithsonian’s African American History Museum debuts the online teaching tool “Talking About Race”

Protestors march through the streets of D.C. during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody.

Race in America

158 Resources for Understanding Systemic Racism in America

These articles, videos, podcasts and websites from the Smithsonian chronicle the history of anti-black violence and inequality in the United States

Art historian Renee Gondek will discuss the disasters of Ancient Thebes in live, virtual Smithsonian Associates event on June 4.

Smithsonian Voices

Ten Smithsonian Associates Programs Streaming in June

Smithsonian Associates Streaming continues with live, expert-led lectures and studio arts classes offered free of charge through June 11

A wooden paddle with a nail-studded leather face was used in Alabama in 1899 to perforate mail in preparation for fumigation as a precaution against yellow fever.

Mail Handlers Used to Poke Holes in Envelopes to Battle Germs and Viruses

The postal service and scientists say there’s no need to sanitize the mail today

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