Racism
National Audubon Society Votes to Keep the Name of an Enslaver
The move has been criticized by some local chapters that have severed ties with naturalist and slaveholder John James Audubon
Untold Stories of American History
The African Diplomats Who Protested Segregation in the U.S.
Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy publicly apologized after restaurants refused to serve Black representatives of newly independent nations
The First Fossil Finders in North America Were Enslaved and Indigenous People
Decades before paleontology’s formal establishment, Black and Native Americans discovered—and correctly identified—millennia-old fossils
How an All-Black Female WWII Unit Saved Morale on the Battlefield
Glory goes to the Six Triple Eight, who overcame discrimination from fellow service members and are finally getting the recognition they earned
Gregory Peck's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Script Goes to Auction
Also for sale are gifts from Harper Lee, who remained close with the Peck family for years
Genetics Society Issues Apology for Ties to Eugenics and Racism
In a new report, the American Society of Human Genetics details its failures to address false and unjust uses of the field
The Indigenous Americans Who Visited Europe
A new book reverses the narrative of the Age of Discovery, which has long evoked the ambitions of Europeans looking to the Americas rather than vice versa
Disney’s Controversial Splash Mountain Ride Has Officially Closed
Come 2024, the attraction—inspired by the racist 1946 movie "Song of the South"—will be reimagined as Tiana's Bayou Adventure
When Lyndon B. Johnson Chose the Middle Ground on Civil Rights—and Disappointed Everyone
Always a dealmaker, then-senator LBJ negotiated with segregationists to pass a bill that cautiously advanced racial equality
Arthur Duncan, Talented Tap Dancer Who Broke Barriers, Dies at 97
The pioneering entertainer enjoyed a dazzling career that kept him dancing for decades
Untold Stories of American History
How History Forgot Rosewood, a Black Town Razed by a White Mob
A century ago, a false accusation sparked the destruction of the Florida community
Henrietta Lacks' Virginia Hometown Will Build Statue in Her Honor, Replacing Robert E. Lee Monument
Lacks' unique cancer cells were taken without consent and used for medical breakthroughs
Indigenous Activists Criticize 'Avatar' Sequel
They say the film romanticizes colonization and reduces Indigenous cultures to vague stereotypes
Richmond Removes Its Last City-Owned Confederate Monument
The statue of Ambrose P. Hill had stood at a busy intersection since 1892
Smithsonian Scholars Pick Their Favorite Books of 2022
This wide-ranging list offers context for our rapidly changing world
The Ten Best History Books of 2022
Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and illuminate how the nation ended up where it is today
The Nation's First Woman Senator Was a Virulent White Supremacist
In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton, a Georgia women's rights activist and lynching proponent, temporarily filled a dead man's Senate seat
The First-Ever List of Japanese Americans Forced Into Incarceration Camps Is 1,000 Pages Long
The Ireichō contains 125,284 names—and a new exhibition invites the public to honor them
Harvard Museum Pledges to Return Hair Samples of 700 Native American Children
The samples come from students who were forced to attend government-run boarding schools
The Mesoamerican Influences Behind Namor From 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'
The sequel to the 2018 Marvel blockbuster features a Maya-inspired antihero played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta
