Sacco and Vanzetti’s Trial of the Century Exposed Injustice in 1920s America
The pair’s path to becoming media sensations began 100 years ago. To this day the two remain emblems of prejudice in the American justice system
Remembering George Floyd and the Movement He Sparked
Kevin Young, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, reflects on the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s killing
Reflections on the Artifacts Left Behind From the Tulsa Race Massacre
Objects and documents, says the Smithsonian historian Paul Gardullo, offer a profound opportunity for reckoning with a past that still lingers
Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ Is as Relevant Today as It Was in 1971
Fifty years ago, the artist released Motown’s best-selling album ever and changed the course of his musical career
Ethnically Diverse Crew of Henry VIII’s Flagship Hailed From Iberia, North Africa
New multi-isotope analysis illuminates early lives of sailors stationed on the Tudor “Mary Rose,” including three born outside of Britain
African Europeans, Jewish Commandos of WWII and Other New Books to Read
These May releases elevate overlooked stories and offer insights on oft-discussed topics
Racist Phrase Found Etched on Native American Petroglyphs in Utah
Unidentified criminals wrote “white power” and obscenities over thousand-year-old Indigenous markings on “Birthing Rock” in Moab
Blackface Is Older Than You Might Think
From medieval European theater troupes to American minstrelsy, the harmful tradition has a surprisingly long history
Meet the Black Physicians Bringing Covid Vaccines to Hard-Hit Philadelphia Communities
The Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium is leveraging their medical expertise and connections to provide testing and vaccines where measures are most needed
Lessons Learned
A photographic homage to a momentous education experiment
What a Vintage Guidebook Taught Me About Oregon’s Past and Present
Our writer takes a quirky trip through Oregon, from a wilderness lodge to a Gilded Age saloon to a town hidden underground
How an Art Exhibition in Breonna Taylor’s Hometown Honors Her Life and Impact
The Louisville show is organized around three overarching themes proposed by Taylor’s mother: promise, witness and remembrance
Black Protesters Have Been Rallying Against Confederate Statues for Generations
When Tuskegee student Sammy Younge, Jr., was murdered in 1966, his classmates focused their righteous anger on a local monument
Looking Back at the Tulsa Race Massacre, 100 Years Later
Confronting the murderous attack on the most prosperous black community in the nation
America’s First Black Physician Sought to Heal a Nation’s Persistent Illness
An activist, writer, doctor and intellectual, James McCune Smith, born enslaved, directed his talents to the eradication of slavery
How to Tell 400 Years of Black History in One Book
From 1619 to 2019, this collection of essays, edited by two of the nation’s preeminent scholars, shows the depth and breadth of African American history
How Black Panther Changed Comic Books (and Wakanda) Forever
The Marvel superhero pounced on the scene in the ‘60s and never looked back
Meet Joseph Rainey, the First Black Congressman
Born enslaved, he was elected to Congress in the wake of the Civil War. But the impact of this momentous step in U.S. race relationships did not last long
The Ten Best Children’s Books of 2020
These top titles deliver history lessons, wordplay and a musical romp through the animal kingdom
Why the Smithsonian Is Encouraging Americans to Talk More Openly About Race
In a year marked by calls to reckon with America’s racial past, the Smithsonian is taking a big step toward helping the nation heal
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