The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) spring programming is in full bloom with in-person and virtual programs for all ages. April programming begins with prominent plant stylist Hilton Carter discussing his new book Living Wild: How to Plant Style Your Home and Cultivate Happiness. The conversation will be moderated by NMAAHC’s Associate Director for External Affairs Denise Robinson Simms, and will explore how Carter’s practice features Afrofuturist themes.

On April 17, the museum will celebrate the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed 3,000 enslaved individuals in the nation’s capital, by inviting residents of the District of Columbia and surrounding areas to the museum for a day filled with performances and activities.

Programming will also feature a spoken-word poetry workshop; a discussion on identity and activism in childhood with authors Tiffany Jewell, Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond; and a virtual cooking demonstration and conversation with Chef Jonny Rhodes.

Highlights of April Programs

Exploring Black Futures Tour & Spoken Word Poetry Workshop
Friday, April 7; 11 a.m.–1 p.m. ET (Oprah Winfrey Theater)
Participants can deepen their experience of the new exhibition, “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures,” by attending an Ekphrastic workshop. Ekphrastic poetry responds to a work of visual art—generally a painting, object, sculpture or photograph. International slam poetry champion Anthony McPherson will lead the workshop. Attendees will explore the visual arts, learn about the many perspectives captured in the exhibit and spend time composing individual work about Black Futures. Admission is free; however, registration is required.

Living Wild: Designing a Living Home
Sunday, April 16; 2 p.m. ET (Oprah Winfrey Theater)
Acclaimed plant stylist Hilton Carter comes to NMAAHC to celebrate the release of his new book Living Wild: How to Plant Style Your Home and Cultivate Happiness. Revealing his creative process, Carter’s book inspires readers to elevate their home decor and find joy in living wild. The discussion will also examine how Carter’s practice operates within an Afrofuturist framework and aesthetic, themes that are currently explored in the exhibition “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures.” Denise Robinson Simms, associate director for external affairs at NMAAHC, will moderate the conversation. Copies of the book will be for sale and signing courtesy of Smithsonian Books. Admission is free; however, registration is required.

District Day at the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Monday, April 17; 10 a.m.
In coordination with the D.C. Mayor’s Office of African American Affairs, NMAAHC is hosting a District Day to celebrate DC Emancipation Day, which freed 3,000 enslaved individuals in the nation’s capital. In the spirit of celebration, residents across the region (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia) are invited to the museum for a day filled with live performances, guided conversations and a special District Day menu from the Sweet Home Café. Admission is free; however, registration is required.

Caregiver Conversations: Identity, Justice, and Activism in Childhood— A Book Discussion with Author Tiffany Jewell and Moderators Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond
Tuesday, April 18; 7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. ET (Virtual)
Join the museum for a thoughtful virtual conversation about identity, justice and activism in childhood with nationally recognized educator and best-selling author Tiffany Jewell and children’s book authors Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond. In her newly released book, The Antiracist Kid, Tiffany empowers young readers to embark on their antiracist journeys. Admission is free; however, registration is required.

Virtual Cooking Demo and Conversation with Chef Jonny Rhodes
Saturday, April 29 (Streaming)
Join Chef Jonny Rhodes of Food Fight Farms and Broham Soul Food & Groceries and Ashley Young, Ph.D., historian of the American Food History Project at NMAAHC, for a cooking demonstration and lively discussion about the stories food can tell of how communities intersected in the past. Rhodes is heavily influenced by the history of his hometown in Houston and has made it his mission to bring awareness to past injustices and how African Americans can be better equipped to live a self-sustaining lifestyle.

Food Fight Farms grows fresh produce with the specific intent of processing those goods into shelf-stable foods. The menu will showcase items that have been grown from seed and manufactured into products such as pickles, preserves, condiments and more. Registration is $20 and meal kit ingredients will be shipped frozen overnight to participants.

About the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 8.5 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu, follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.

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