Special Report

Breaking Ground

Smithsonian Institution

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Definitive Story of How the National Museum of African American History and Culture Came to Be

The Jones-Hall-Sims House, stripped down from 140 years of additions and siding, was acquired in 2009 by the National Museum of African American History and Culture and has been rebuilt as part of an exhibition called “Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation.”

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

For Nearly 150 Years, This One House Told a Novel Story About the African-American Experience

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Powerful Objects From the Collections of the Smithsonian's Newest Museum

Featured Stories

Quincy Jones at an awards ceremony in 2014

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Quincy Jones Was a ‘Musician’s Musician’ Who Was Uniquely Beloved in the Cutthroat Music Industry

The Offering by Nicole Crowder and Hadiya Williams in "Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial" at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

See What Happened When One Museum Asked Artists to Define ‘Home’

Muhammad Ali

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

These 17 Pictures Tell the Stories of Black Athletes in America

Vice President Kamala Harris greets members of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha after speaking at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on July 10, 2024 in Dallas, Texas

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Discover the Special Meaning Behind Kamala Harris’ Pearls

Isis Davis-Marks; Updated by Kayla Randall

Bridge, Glenn Kaino, fiberglass, steel, wire and gold paint, 2013-2014

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Tommie Smith’s Raised Fist at the 1968 Olympics Inspired a Massive Golden Sculpture That Signifies the Art of His Protest

James Baldwin, Istanbul, Sedat Pakay, gelatin silver and chromogenic prints, c. 1965

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Explore James Baldwin Alongside His Friends, His Contemporaries and the Queer Artists Inspired by His Writing

A new documentary about the creation of Black Barbie is now streaming on Netflix.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

How the First Black Barbie Was Born

Gregory Wakeman

The badges identify the wearer's occupation, such as servant or porter.

These Badges Shed New Light on the Enslaved Workers Who Built Charleston

Elle Decor magazine cover, Rachelle A. Baker, digital illustration, 2021

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

How Do You Rest in a Culture of Overwork?

Some of the newspaper articles describe the buying and selling of enslaved people, while others offer rewards for the return of runaways.

Ancestry Releases Records of 183,000 Enslaved Individuals in America