Special Report

Breaking Ground

Smithsonian Institution

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The Definitive Story of How the National Museum of African American History and Culture Came to Be

The Jones-Hall-Sims House, stripped down from 140 years of additions and siding, was acquired in 2009 by the National Museum of African American History and Culture and has been rebuilt as part of an exhibition called “Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation.”

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For Nearly 150 Years, This One House Told a Novel Story About the African-American Experience

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The Powerful Objects From the Collections of the Smithsonian's Newest Museum

Featured Stories

A Harper's Weekly illustration of Confederate soldiers driving Black Americans south in 1862

After Confederate Forces Captured Their Children, These Black Mothers Fought to Reunite Their Families

A view of the "In Slavery's Wake" exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture

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The Vast Geographic Scope of Slavery Is Hard to Fathom. One Groundbreaking Exhibition Shows Its True Scale Around the Globe

Honoree Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian speaks on stage during National Archives Foundation Records of Achievement Award Ceremony and Gala 2023 at the National Archives Museum on December 4, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

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The Head of the Smithsonian Talks About America’s 250th, Why Experts Still Matter and What to Expect From the Institution in 2025

This year's list includes Clouds in Space, The Manicurist's Daughter and The Ministry of Time.

The Best Books of 2024, as Chosen by Smithsonian Scholars

Quincy Jones at an awards ceremony in 2014

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Quincy Jones Was a ‘Musician’s Musician’ Who Was Uniquely Beloved in the Cutthroat Music Industry

The Offering by Nicole Crowder and Hadiya Williams in "Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial" at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

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See What Happened When One Museum Asked Artists to Define ‘Home’

Muhammad Ali

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These 17 Pictures Tell the Stories of Black Athletes in America

Vice President Kamala Harris greets members of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha after speaking at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on July 10, 2024 in Dallas, Texas

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Discover the Special Meaning Behind Kamala Harris’ Pearls

Isis Davis-Marks; Updated by Kayla Randall

Bridge, Glenn Kaino, fiberglass, steel, wire and gold paint, 2013-2014

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Tommie Smith’s Raised Fist at the 1968 Olympics Inspired a Massive Golden Sculpture That Signifies the Art of His Protest

James Baldwin, Istanbul, Sedat Pakay, gelatin silver and chromogenic prints, c. 1965

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Explore James Baldwin Alongside His Friends, His Contemporaries and the Queer Artists Inspired by His Writing