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African American History Museum

This month's Atlantic cover story by Ta-Nehisi Coates is generating some serious discussion about "The Case for Reparations."

Breaking Ground

America’s Moral Debt to African Americans

The director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture joins the discussion around “The Case for Reparations”

Beneath Anderson's coat is a bright orange velour jacket, a form-fitting number trimmed in gold with turquoise buttons, now among the collections at the Smithsonian.

When Marian Anderson Sang at the Lincoln Memorial, Her Voice Stunned the Crowd, and Her Gold-Trimmed Jacket Dazzled

With no color photos of her famous performance in existence, the brilliance of Marian Anderson’s bright orange outfit has been lost, until now

When Cassius Clay Signed His Gloves With a Prediction of His Future Greatness

In 1964, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay was largely untested as a pro. Then he stepped into the ring

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Breaking Ground

The “Legacy of Slavery” Comes to the Smithsonian with Angola Prison Guard Tower Donation

Donations from the notorious Louisiana prison highlight a controversial history of incarceration

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Slave Cabin Set to Become Centerpiece of New Smithsonian Museum

A slave cabin from a South Carolina plantation is being shipped to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Breaking Ground

Shovels Break Ground for the New National Museum of African American History and Culture

Dignitaries plunge their shovels into a small rectangle of dirt, marking the groundbreaking for the 19th Smithsonian museum

Growing up in multiple countries has allowed architect David Adjaye to always be highly sensitive to the cultural framework of different peoples in his designs.

Breaking Ground

Q&A: Architect David Adjaye On His Vision for the New Museum

The designer of the National Museum of African American History and Culture talks about his vision for the new building

The PT-13D prepared Tuskegee Airmen for war.

Breaking Ground

The Tuskegee Airmen Plane’s Last Flight

The final voyage of a World War II biplane evokes the exploits of the legendary fighting force

Residents of Indianola, Mississippi, share stories about their family "Treasures" with curator Elaine Nichols, of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Visits Mississippi

Curators review family heirlooms brought in to the B.B. King Museum in Indianola

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Learning About the Moores of Mims With NMAAHC Curator John Franklin

In 1849, Harriet Tubman fled Maryland to Philadelphia. Soon after, Tubman began her exploits—acts of bravery that would make her a legend.

Breaking Ground

Harriet Tubman’s Hymnal Evokes a Life Devoted to Liberation

A hymnal owned by the brave leader of the Underground Railroad brings new insights into the life of the American heroine

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Breaking Ground

The History Behind a Slave’s Bill of Sale

On a worn, aged piece of paper dated 1835, a judge describes the sale of a 16-year-old girl named Polly, with “yellow complexion and black eyes”

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Design Announced for National Museum of African American History and Culture

Cap worn by Pullman Porter Philip Henry Logan

Buried Treasure

A Clarion call from the new African American History Museum: What’s in Your Attic?

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