If sheer talent were a measure of fame, Valaida Snow would be one of the most renowned performers of the 20th century. Her story epitomizes the history of countless gifted but underappreciated African American artists, performers, and musicians who o...

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom sought to pressure Congress to pass civil rights legislation. Many public officials feared the march would result in violence and proposed a bill in Congress to prevent it. Despite predictions of trouble, ...

In hindsight, the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom has taken on mythic proportions. Its importance as a turning point in the civil rights movement, a moment when the American public came to see race relations as a national, not a Southe...

Explore the family history of Pauli Murray, a pioneering lawyer, priest, and writer who published a major African American genealogy. Her book, "Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family," published 20 years before "Roots", showcases the racial an...

Pauli Murray was first in her class at Howard University Law school and the only woman. She is the first African American to earn a J.S.D. from Yale Law School and a co-founder of the National Organization for Women. In 1977, Murray became the first ...

Strongly inspired by the memory of her father, William H. Murray, a teacher and poet, and by noted 19th-century poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, Murray found the time and resources to write and publish.

Pauli Murray's personal writings about her gender identity and sexuality have been a recent topic of study. Researchers have discovered that Murray may have identified as a transgendered man, but did not have the information or acceptance available d...

HBCU campuses have always been places that foster the development and achievement of African Americans. The historic election of U.S. Vice President–elect Kamala Harris also has generated significant attention.

Poetry after the 1970s challenged the tendency of the preceding Black Arts Movement to view African Americans as a monolithic group—as a collective of people with the same values, goals, and cultural expressions.

There are Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba, that help us to continue building and maintaining unified and empowered communities.

Watch Night or “Freedom's Eve,” marks when African Americans across the country watched and waited for the Emancipation Proclamation to take effect. Today, Watch Night service encourages reflection on the history of slavery and the previous year.

Despite the national fervor inspired by his death it took 15 years of persistence by civil rights activists a holiday created in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be approved by the federal government and an additional 17 years for it to ...

African Americans have long held a presence in the White House. The contributions of both enslaved and free men and women have been integral to the construction, day-to-day operation, and legislative policies associated with the executive branch of g...

In celebration of the inauguration of Joseph R. Biden Jr, as the 46th President of the United States, and the inauguration of America’s first black woman vice president, Kamala Harris, we continue to honor the contribution of African Americans in the...

Oral History, or the practice of recording and preserving memories and experiences, enables us to capture the wisdom of our living libraries before they pass away and “burn to the ground.” Unlike other methods of record keeping, oral histories provid...

In celebration of our “Making African America: Immigration and the Changing Dynamics of Blackness” symposium, we have highlighted five political artifacts from our collection.  These items, and the stories behind them, help reveal the demographic cha...

In celebration of our “Making African America: Immigration and the Changing Dynamics of Blackness” symposium, we have highlighted five works of art from our collection. These items, and the stories behind them, help reveal the demographic changes tha...

Through their achievements in the dramatic arts, African American women have broken barriers, enriched American culture, and inspired audiences around the world.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is committed to studying and documenting African American religious life—past and present. Over the past ten years, the Museum has acquired over 1,093 religion objects that are now part of i...

If one were to describe Pauli Murray as remarkable, it would be without exaggeration. A pioneering lawyer, civil and women’s rights activist, prolific writer, Episcopal priest, and so much more—Murray was a trailblazer for countless women.