Civil Rights

Alcatraz Island, home to the nation’s most notorious pen, was the site of a crucial civil rights battle 50 years ago.

Alcatraz's Captivating Hold on History

Fifty years after Native American activists occupied the island, take a look back at the old prison in San Francisco Bay

The word "teetotaler" dates back to the temperance movement that preceded Prohibition.

Where Does the Word 'Teetotaler' Come From? And More Questions From Our Readers

You've got questions, we've got experts

The exceedingly private and humble Marian Anderson (Above: by Beauford Delaney, 1965, detail) would become a worldwide phenom.

How Marian Anderson Became an Iconic Symbol for Equality

Her beautiful voice famously rang out from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial; a new show takes a look at the highs and lows of her global acclaim

A young Emmett Till wearing a hat.

Due to Repeated Vandalism, Emmett Till Memorial to Be Replaced With Bulletproof Sign

Most recently, three University of Mississippi students were suspended from their fraternity after posing in front of the sign with guns

On September 7, 1965, Larry Itliong convinced 2,000 Filipino farmworkers to walk away from the California vineyards and began the famous Delano Grape Strike.

Why It Is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong

Author Gayle Romasanta is on a crusade to recover the farm worker’s story, empowering young leaders to follow in his footsteps

Reverend Ralph Abernathy, flanked by associates, stand on steps of a mockup of the lunar module displaying a protest sign while demonstrating at the Apollo 11 launch.

While NASA Was Landing on the Moon, Many African Americans Sought Economic Justice Instead

For those living in poverty, the billions spent on the Apollo program, no matter how inspiring the mission, laid bare the nation's priorities

People marching to protest the murder of Rev. James Reeb.

NPR Identifies Fourth Attacker in Infamous Civil Rights Murder

William Portwood admitted his involvement in attacking minister James Reeb to reporters just weeks before his death

An activist holds up a rainbow flag inside Botswana's High Court to celebrate Tuesday's landmark ruling.

In Landmark Ruling, Botswana Strikes Down Colonial-Era Law Criminalizing Homosexuality

‘A democratic society is one that embraces tolerance, diversity and open-mindedness,’ Justice Michael Leburu said of the ruling

A candlelight vigil is tinged with a sense of resistance and resilience as activists honor the second anniversary of Stonewall, 1971.

The First Pride Marches, in Photos

A look back at a major turning point in the struggle for gay rights

A man smokes a cigarette as he talks to an armored guard at a protest in People’s Park circa May, 1969, in Berkeley, California.

Scenes From 50 Years Ago This Spring, When Americans Turned Out to Protest the Vietnam War

In Los Angeles, Boston and New York, students and veterans alike challenged the government’s ongoing support for the lengthy war

The 404th AFS Band pictured in Fort Des Moines

Seventy-Five Years Ago, the Military’s Only All-Black Female Band Battled the War Department and Won

The women of the 404th Armed Service Forces band raised morale and funds for the military, but they had to fight discrimination to do so

A portrait (detail, above) of Mary Church Terrell, a prominent D.C. activist and suffragist. The image is just one of dozens of turn-of-the-century photographs featured in "Pictures with Purpose"

For Turn-of-the-Century African-Americans, the Camera Was a Tool for Empowerment

A new installment in the Smithsonian's “Double Exposure” photo book series depicts black Americans championing their lives through photography

Sojourner Truth, Randall Studio, c. 1870

The Bold Accomplishments of Women of Color Need to Be a Bigger Part of Suffrage History

An upcoming Smithsonian exhibition, “Votes For Women,” delves into the complexities and biases of the nature of persistence

Family photographs decorate the master bedroom in the home of Civil Rights leaders Medgar and Myrlie Evers.

Home of Civil Rights Hero Medgar Evers Is Now a National Monument

Before his assassination in 1963, Evers led civil rights demonstrations and investigated racial violence in Mississippi

Nine African American women gather for the Banner State Woman's National Baptist Convention in 1915

How the Daughters and Granddaughters of Former Slaves Secured Voting Rights for All

Historian Martha S. Jones takes a look at the question of race versus gender in the quest for universal suffrage

A $3.5 million renovation at the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum includes an outdoor multi-functional plaza and community garden. The museum will reopen in mid-October.

Anacostia Community Museum to Close for Renovations, but Will Tour Its Current Show With Pop Ups Across the City

D.C. Public Library will partner with the museum to bring you "A Right to the City," which takes a deep look at gentrification and its impact

Frank Robinson taking a swing during a circa late 1960s Major League Baseball game at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.

Smithsonian Curator Weighs in on Legacy of Frank Robinson, Barrier-Breaking Baseball Great

Robinson was one of the great all-time home run hitters and made history when he became the manager of the Cleveland Indians

Bernice "Bunny" Sandler

Remembering "Godmother of Title IX" Bernice Sandler

Sandler, often known as "Bunny," played an important role in creating the landmark legislation

On an 1870 cover of Harper's Weekly, President Ulysses S. Grant is shown greeting the Oglala Chief Red Cloud who came to visit him in Washington, D.C.

Ulysses Grant's Failed Attempt to Grant Native Americans Citizenship

In a forgotten chapter of history, the president and his Seneca Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Ely Parker, fought for Native American rights

In the five generations since the treaty was signed and broken, the Sioux Nations have steadily lost reservation lands to white development.

In 1868, Two Nations Made a Treaty, the U.S. Broke It and Plains Indian Tribes are Still Seeking Justice

The American Indian Museum puts the 150-year-old Fort Laramie Treaty on view in its "Nation to Nation" exhibition

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