Martin Luther King, Jr.
Who Stole—and Burned—This Jackie Robinson Statue?
Donations poured in to help replace the bronze statue, which a youth baseball nonprofit unveiled in 2021
Twenty-Four Smithsonian Shows to See in 2024
Election-year items, truth serum, Nigerian art and a pioneering self-driving car are on display this year
Smithsonian Scholars Recommend Their Favorite Books of 2023
Curators and staffers satisfied their endless curiosity with novels, short stories, biographies, art collections and journalistic reporting
The Ten Best History Books of 2023
Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and illuminate how the United States ended up where it is today
The Real History Behind Netflix's 'Rustin' Movie
A new film finally spotlights Bayard Rustin, the gay civil rights activist who organized the 1963 March on Washington
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
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
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
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
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
Monument to Coretta Scott King Unveiled in Atlanta
Located at the King Center, the new memorial honors a legacy that's often overlooked
Harry Belafonte, Groundbreaking Singer, Songwriter and Activist, Dies at 96
A Smithsonian curator reviews Belafonte’s legacy, from breaking racial barriers in the entertainment industry to 70 years of civil rights activism
The House Where Martin Luther King Jr. Planned Civil Rights Marches Is Moving to Michigan
The historic home also hosted the likes of W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington
The Lincoln Memorial Is Getting a New Underground Museum
Crews are starting work on the $69 million project this month and hope to finish by 2026
When Julia Roberts Was Born, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Paid the Hospital Bill
The Roberts family had previously welcomed the Kings' children to their theater school
Meet Diane Nash, the Civil Rights Icon Awarded the U.S.' Highest Civilian Honor
The 84-year-old activist received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her leadership during the 1960s fight against segregation
How a Failed Assassination Attempt Pushed George Wallace to Reconsider His Segregationist Views
Fifty years ago, a fame-seeker shot the polarizing politician five times, paralyzing him from the waist down
Why a Schoolteacher Spent 70 Years Collecting Thousands of Black History Artifacts
Elizabeth Meaders' acquisitions include sports memorabilia, civil rights posters, military paraphernalia and art
Freedom House, an Iconic Civil Rights Hub in Boston, Is Set for Demolition
Nicknamed the "Black Pentagon," the building served as a meeting place for local racial justice activists
Claudette Colvin, Who Was Arrested for Refusing to Give Up Her Bus Seat in 1955, Is Fighting to Clear Her Record
The civil rights pioneer pushed back against segregation nine months before Rosa Parks' landmark protest but has long been overlooked
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