Displaying 1 - 10 of 69 stories
Image of Althea Gibson holding flowers and a championship trophy.
Our American Story

HBCUs: A Legacy of Shaping African American Athletes

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have always been incubators for talent. In the post–Civil War Reconstruction years (1863–1877), dozens of HBCUs were founded to meet the educational needs of free and newly freed African Americans. Whereas most institutions barred or limited African American enrollment, HBCUs arose to provide higher education and vocational training.
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Image of ​​​​​​​March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963

Notes on the March on Washington

On August 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people rallied on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Traveling from cities, towns, and villages around the country by bus, car, plane, train, and on foot, they convened to find strength in a shared history, future, and purpose.
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Detail of A relief print depicting the elaborate, Fulani-inspired, futuristic, protective hairstyle of a woman with her back to the viewer.
Collection Story

Strands of Inspiration: Exploring Black Identities through Hair

Many artists and designers in the NMAAHC collection explore the role that hair plays within their own Black identities. These artists highlight Black hair’s ability to form meaning due to its malleable nature that gives way to creative symbolism. The cultural significance of Black hair manifests through the themes demonstrated in art works that consider race through the lenses of gender, space, and time.
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Black and white image of sharecroppers in the field.
Our American Story

Our American Story - Juneteenth

This year marks the second anniversary since President Joe Biden named Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021. As more Americans celebrate Juneteenth with family and community, it is vital to share the important historical legacy behind Juneteenth and recognize the long struggle to make it an officially recognized holiday. It is an opportunity to honor our country’s second Independence Day and reflect on our shared history and future.
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A man kneeling on a rug in prayer.
Collection Story

Ramadan

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar and is the official month of fasting for Muslims worldwide. For the duration of the month, Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset each day, perform meaningful rituals that illuminate their faith, exercise humility, and engage in self-reflection.
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Photograph of Nina Simone with James Baldwin 1965 silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Cultural Expressions

Black Joy: Resistance, Resilience and Reclamation

At the heart of the Black Joy movement is what many scholars, journalists, authors, and others are describing as resistance, resilience, and reclamation of Black Humanity.
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Members of the Fisk Jubilee Singers around an organ.
Collection Story

Musical Life at HBCUs

The National Museum of African American History and Culture's collection features many objects connected to the musical legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The material culture of HBCU music is a powerful illustration of the roles these institutions have played in the lives of Black musicians for over 150 years.
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Photograph of three Black Panther Party members outside Alameda County Court House.
Collection Story

More than a Fashion Statement

Although the impressive Black Panther Party uniform garnered public attention, it was not a fashion statement. From top to bottom the Black Panther uniform was strategic and symbolic.
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Illustration of buildings on an island
Collection Story

Black Geographies: Our Place in the World

A close look at spaces African Americans have inhabited and fought for can deepen our understanding of the connections between race, space, and place.
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A collage of seven images.
Collection Story

The Harlem Renaissance in Black Queer History

The Harlem Renaissance, a literary and cultural flowering centered in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood that lasted from roughly the early 1920s through the mid-1930s, marked a turning point in African American culture. Black queer artists and intellectuals were among the most influential contributors to this cultural movement.
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