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Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

Six elder Black women pose on a grassy hillside, each holding an enlarged black-and-white photo of a schoolhouse, protestors with signs, and a class photo.

The Mothers Who Marched for Equality in Hillsboro, Ohio

In May 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated schooling was illegal. That didn’t mean that schools changes overnight—or without a fight.

A vibrant parade on the National Mall with participants in colorful costumes, carrying flags and banners, in front of the United States Capitol building. Text is overlaid on the image that reads: Culture Of, By, and For the People

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Goes National for the United States’ 250th Anniversary

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the Smithsonian is taking its oldest and largest public event—the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival—on the road to communities across the country and three U.S. territories.

In the courtyard of a wooden home with tiled roof and carved doorways, strings of orange persimmons hang from a bamboo pole hung along an eave.

Our Director Reflects on “Culture of Everyday Life” and K-Culture after Visiting South Korea

What we call “folklife” in the United States—the traditions, activities, skills, beliefs, and tangible creations of a particular community—is known as the “culture of everyday life” in South Korea. But there are other differences in how we understand these concepts.

Three men, two holding acoustic guitars, pose in front of a festival tent.

A Life in Folklore: Frank Proschan’s Community Work and New Internship Endowment

After fifty years in culture work, Proschan has gifted his research as a folklorist and anthropologist to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Two people in grass skirts stand on the shore, facing the ocean under an overcast sky.

Shared Experiences Through the Ongoing Virtual Mother Tongue Film Festival

Learn more about the films in the ongoing virtual festival

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How I Visit with Houma Relatives in the Smithsonian’s Archival Collections

When I visit the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives, I always try to view the same item: NAA.PhotoLot.76, Houma collection.

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The Millville Rose: Artifacts of Whimsy and Art in Industry

The “Millville Rose” represents the refined skills of factory glassblowers who toiled in an industry in which they had little say in what they made.

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The History Behind Argentina’s Unofficial Anthem for the 2022 World Cup

A viral chant energized the world champions during the tournament in Qatar

Grid of four old film stills, each showing the same young man: holding up a camera to his eye, smirking, smoking a cigarette, and posing with an older woman.

How a Filmmaker Discovered a Powerful Message in a Box of Old Home Movies

A $12 purchase in a Liberty, Maine, antique store sparked a gumshoe investigation and a life rediscovered

Suffragists stand holding a banner quoting Susan B. Anthony: "No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex."

The Lasting Legacy of Suffragists at the Lorton Women’s Workhouse

Now the Workhouse Arts Center, the facility does not stand in spite of its past, but because of it.

Two civilians look at a poster featuring the face of Martin Luther King Jr., his head depicted beneath the words 'Nonviolence... Our Most Potent Weapon.'

MLK's Unswerving Commitment to Nonviolent Activism

Martin Luther King Jr. and countless individuals laid their bodies and lives on the line in order to make the dream of an equal and just society for all citizens a reality.

A young girl poses outside a building, wearing a dark coat, layers of skirts, and a kerchief over her hair, holding a broom in one hand and a kettle in the other. Black-and-white photo.

The Swedish Witch Trials Teach Us How to Confront Dark Heritage

At first glance, the tradition of Påskkärring, or “Easter Hags,” seems quite innocent, but deeper study reveals a dark history, one of oppression and persecution.

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