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Civil Rights

A still from the upcoming movie Rustin, which tells the story of Bayard Rustin, a key orchestrator behind the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Watch the Trailer for ‘Rustin,’ Which Spotlights the Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington

The new film dramatizes Bayard Rustin’s efforts to pull off an event of unprecedented scale

In 1963, standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. waves to the largest crowd ever to participate in a civil rights demonstration in Washington, D.C. where he delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

To Mark the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech Goes on Display

The draft on view at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture was produced a few hours before King took to the podium

Stanley Tretick's photos of the March on Washington went unpublished for 50 years.

These Photos of the March on Washington Capture the Urgency and Joy of the Iconic Day

Stanley Tretick documented the demonstration in 1963, but his snapshots were hidden in a trunk, unseen by the public for decades

Early mug shots of 19th-century criminal suspects in a book by Alphonse Bertillon, chief of criminal identification for the Paris police

History of Now

A Brief History of the Mug Shot

Police have been using the snapshots in criminal investigations since the advent of commercial photography

The August heat failed to deter demonstrators, no matter their age.

An Oral History of the March on Washington

Americans who marched on Washington 60 years ago under a blazing sun recall the day they were part of a turning point in history

Wendy Red Star’s The Soil You See… is a seven-foot-tall glass red thumbprint featuring the names of chiefs who signed treaties with the American government, usually with a fingerprint.

Outdoor Exhibition on the National Mall Spotlights Untold American Stories

In “Beyond Granite: Pulling Together,” six artists have created works for a month-long display

Huey P. Newton (right) and his second wife, Fredrika Newton

The Misunderstood Visionary Behind the Black Panther Party

Huey P. Newton has been mythologized and maligned since his murder 34 years ago. His family and friends offer an intimate look inside his life and mind

KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz

Swiss Seniors Are Suing Over Climate Change’s Threat to Their Health

Amid record-setting heat, the group of women argue that their government’s failure to cut fossil fuel emissions has violated their human rights

Captivity, 1974 is a quilted version of a photo taken of Tyler after his initial arrest.

He Was Wrongfully Imprisoned for 41 Years. Now He Has His First Solo Exhibition

In “We Are the Willing,” quilter Gary Tyler revisits his time in prison and explores his newfound freedom

Barbie's faithful sidekick, Ken, hit shelves in 1961.

There's More to That

Why the Ken Doll Will Never Truly Emerge From Barbie’s Shadow

The blockbuster film sparks a podcast discussion about why Ken can’t possibly be (k)enough

Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, at home in Chicago

Biden Establishes National Monument Honoring Emmett Till and His Mother

Three sites connected to the 14-year-old boy’s murder in 1955 will now receive federal protection

A staff member holds a copy of Heartstopper, an LGBTQ teen romance, at Lira's shop in Budapest.

Bookstore in Hungary Will Fight Fine for Selling ‘Heartstopper,’ a Popular LGBTQ Graphic Novel

Officials say the bookseller broke the law by promoting the novel to minors and failing to wrap it in plastic foil

President Harry S. Truman speaks from the dais at the Convention Hall as Kentucky Senator Alben Barkley (seated onstage in black suit) looks on during the 1948 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Untold Stories of American History

The 1948 Democratic National Convention Is the Missing Link in Civil Rights History

Civil rights activists failed to expel an all-white, segregationist delegation. But their efforts foreshadowed later milestones in the fight for equality

Flanked by drag queens while brandishing a .410-gauge shotgun on July 6, 1973, Broshears announced the establishment of a new vigilante group: the Lavender Panthers.

LGBTQ+ Pride

The Controversial Gay Priest Who Brought Vigilante Justice to San Francisco’s Streets

In response to anti-gay violence, the Reverend Raymond Broshears formed the Lavender Panthers, an armed self-defense group, in 1973

Protesters attend a rally in support of affirmative action in college admissions on October 31, 2022.

History of Now

The History Behind the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision

The phrase, first used in early 20th-century employment laws, is at the center of two new rulings against its use in higher education

Sergeant Henry Johnson (standing, holding bouquet of flowers) and the Harlem Hellfighters at a 1918 victory parade in New York City

Louisiana Army Base Formerly Named for Confederate General Now Honors Black WWI Hero

Sergeant Henry Johnson received a posthumous Medal of Honor recognizing his bravery in battle in France

Participants in a YWCA camp for girls in Highland Beach, Maryland, in 1930

Untold Stories of American History

When Private Beaches Served as a Refuge for the Chesapeake Bay’s Black Elite

During the Jim Crow era, working-class Washingtonians’ recreation options were far more limited—and dangerous

Costin may have been the child of Martha Washington’s son from her first marriage, John “Jacky” Parke Custis, and an enslaved woman.

Untold Stories of American History

Did Martha Washington Have a Black Grandson?

Likely the child of Martha’s son from her first marriage, William Costin used his position to advocate for D.C.’s free Black community

The only meeting between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X occured on March 26, 1964, at the U.S. Senate.

Martin Luther King Jr. Never Said Famous Quote Criticizing Malcolm X

One journalist’s archival discovery is changing historians’ understanding of the two civil rights leaders

A Smithsonian staffer carries a horse from the carousel for transport to the restoration facility.

The Smithsonian’s Historic Carousel Undergoes Restoration

The artifact hails from a Baltimore community, where a young African American child became the face of desegregation when she took her ride in 1963

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