African American History
How the Murder of a Black Grocery Store Owner and His Colleagues Galvanized Ida B. Wells' Anti-Lynching Crusade
The saga of People's Grocery stands as a powerful reminder of the centrality of Black radicalism to the food justice movement
What America's First Board Game Tells Us About the Aspirations of a Young Nation
Released in 1822, the Travelers’ Tour Through the United States took players on a cross-country adventure
Ed Dwight, the First Black Astronaut Candidate in the U.S., Finally Travels to Space at 90 Years Old
The former Air Force pilot trained to become an astronaut in the 1960s but was never selected by NASA. On a Blue Origin flight Sunday, he became the oldest person to go to space
This Map Lets You See How School Segregation Has Changed in Your Hometown
The new interactive tool accompanies a study of school enrollment data, which shows that segregation has worsened in recent decades
At Her Globe-Spanning Nightclubs, This Black Entertainer Hosted a 'Who’s Who' of the 20th Century
Ada "Bricktop" Smith, who operated venues in Rome, Paris and Mexico City, brushed shoulders with the likes of Langston Hughes, Salvador Dalí and Gertrude Stein
This Play Within a Play Confronts the Power Dynamic Between Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson
In "Sally & Tom," Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks continues her investigation of American myths
Pioneering Artist Faith Ringgold Stitched Together Stories of Black Life
The Harlem-born painter, who died this week at age 93, elevated the everyday lives of Black Americans and fought for representation in major museums
Little Rock Nine and Paul McCartney React to Beyoncé's 'Blackbird' Cover
McCartney was inspired to write the song after hearing about the battle to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957
These Were the Most Challenged Books in America Last Year
Titles with LGBTQ themes dominated the American Library Association's newly released list
A Young Sailor's Remains Have Been Identified Eight Decades After He Died at Pearl Harbor
David Walker was a 19-year-old mess attendant aboard the USS "California" when Japan launched its surprise attack
In the Face of Prejudice, the ‘Black Swans’ Took the Ballet World by Storm
A new book shows how pioneering ballerinas captivated audiences and broke racial barriers
The True History Behind Netflix's 'Shirley' Movie
A new film dramatizes Shirley Chisholm's history-making bid to become the first Black woman president in 1972
Eight Secret Societies You Probably Haven't Heard Of
Many of these selective clubs peaked in popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries
Book Banning Attempts Are at Record Highs
A new report from the American Library Association found that the number of challenged titles increased by 65 percent in 2023
How Painting Portraits of Freedom Fighters Became William H. Johnson’s Life’s Work
A new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum brings together the Black Modernist painter’s most famous series for the first time in more than 75 years
How a Century of Black Westerns Shaped Movie History
Mario Van Peebles' "Outlaw Posse" is the latest attempt to correct the erasure of people of color from the classic cinema genre
How the Memory of a Song Reunited Two Women Separated by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
In 1990, scholars found a Sierra Leonean woman who remembered a nearly identical version of a tune passed down by a Georgia woman’s enslaved ancestors
Fire Destroys Museum Honoring Legendary Blues Musician Mississippi John Hurt
The three-room shack in the town of Avalon, Mississippi, was once the singer and guitarist's home
These 15 Moving Photos Celebrate Black History Month
To mark the February heritage month, these images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest offer proof that African American history is timeless
The Founder of This Trailblazing Opera Company Put Black Singers at Center Stage
Mary Cardwell Dawson created unprecedented opportunities for aspiring Black musicians
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