Eight Historic Moments That Took Place at the Waldorf Astoria New York
The famous hotel reopens this spring after an extensive renovation that began in 2017
Discover How Four Black College Students Sparked a Nationwide Civil Rights Movement, on This Date in 1960
By sitting down to lunch at a North Carolina department store, the brave men inspired many others to take part in nonviolent acts of civil disobedience
These 15 Photos Show the People and Places of American Streets Named After Martin Luther King Jr.
On a journey to six cities across the country over the course of seven years, a photographer captured images of the roads that bear the civil rights leader’s name
New Statue Honoring Civil Rights Activist John Lewis Unveiled in His Home State of Alabama
The life-sized bronze sculpture of the congressman joins statues of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Plaza in Montgomery
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
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