African American History

Elijah McCoy.

This Prolific Inventor Helped Give Us The Phrase “The Real McCoy”

There are many stories about how we got this phrase. But there was only one Elijah McCoy

Though there were two different buildings called the "White House of the Confederacy," the White House–pictured here in 1905–has always remained the White House.

A Tale of Two White Houses

The Confederacy had its own White House—two, actually

Clothes from several decades of the show are on display at The George Washington University Museum.

Reliving the Ebony Fashion Fair Off the Runway, One Couture Dress at a Time

An exhibition on the traveling fashion show memorializes the cultural phenomenon that shook up an industry

Billie Holiday sung 'Strange Fruit' throughout her career after first performing the song in 1939.

Billie Holiday’s Label Wouldn’t Touch 'Strange Fruit'

The emotive song about lynching in the American South is both a classic and a warning

Workers at Lockheed Jet Bomber Plant, Marietta, Georgia, 1953

These Photos Offer a Glimpse Into the Racial Politics of the 1950s South

Before he became a sports photographer, John G. Zimmerman captured a past that feels all too present

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Learn the Secret History of Your State With These Addictive Podcasts

Use this indispensable guide to find out which podcast will be next on your listen list

This 1898 photograph shows a young black boy holding hands with a young white girl during the Easter egg roll. The contraption on her head is an Easter bonnet.

The Curious History of the White House Easter Egg Roll

Thousands of families enter the lottery each year to take part in this White House tradition

Chuck Berry's Eldorado Cadillac in the National Museum of African American History and Culture

How Chuck Berry’s Cadillac and His Guitar, Maybellene, Came to the Smithsonian

Curator Kevin Strait from the African American History Museum details the day he met the great musician

The 1973 Cadillac Eldorado convertible was driven on stage for the big superstar tribute concert for Chuck Berry in the 1987 film Hail! Hail!

The Wild Rock and Roller Chuck Berry Dies

In 2012, Berry donated his red Eldorado Cadillac to the Smithsonian

In the early days of the Civil Rights Movements, students took a stand by sitting down.

New Nashville Restaurant Recreates Civil Rights Sit-In Site

The lunch counter where John Lewis and others were arrested will now be part of a soul food eatery and music venue

Mildred and Richard Loving, subjects of the documentary The Loving Story and the feature-film Loving. Their story will be a topic of discussion at the History Film Forum.

History Film Forum Hashes Out Truth and Myth in Hollywood

The four-day Forum looks into time travel, black America, Poe and other depictions of history in the media

No images of Casor survive to the present day. Tobacco fields like this one, however, would have been what he saw daily.

The Horrible Fate of John Casor, The First Black Man to be Declared Slave for Life in America

Black people in early America weren't slaves. After this lawsuit, they could be

Excavations inside the Fiesta Mall

Skeletons Found Under a Florida Wine Shop May Be Some of America’s First Colonists

The skeletons, found in St. Augustine, Florida, likely date to the first decades of the oldest European settlement in the United States

President James Buchanan thought that a binding Supreme Court decision legitimizing slavery would bring the country together.

President James Buchanan Directly Influenced the Outcome of the Dred Scott Decision

He's remembered as a president who tried to unify a fractured nation with little success, doing damage along the way

Einstein enjoyed a 20-year friendship with African-American civil rights leader and actor Paul Robeson (far right). Also shown are former vice president Henry Wallace (left) and Lewis L. Wallace of Princeton University (second from right).

How Albert Einstein Used His Fame to Denounce American Racism

The world-renowned physicist was never one to just stick to the science

The cartoon by Thomas Nast shows the battles between President Johnson and Congress over Reconstruction.

The Political Cartoon That Explains the Battle Over Reconstruction

Take a deep dive into this drawing by famed illustrator Thomas Nast

Follow the Path of the Freedom Riders in This Interactive Map

These civil rights activists showed true courage in telling the nation about the segregated South

Hugo La Fayette Black was a Supreme Court justice for over three decades, and is remembered as a defender of civil rights.

This Supreme Court Justice Was a KKK Member

Even after the story came out in 1937, Hugo Black went on to serve as a member of the Supreme Court into the 1970s

This image, entitled "Doing Their Share, Too," celebrated the war work of black women.

This African American Artist’s Cartoons Helped Win World War II

Charles Alston knew how to turn art into motivation

The Little Rock Nine escorted by soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division into Little Rock Central High.

That Time the U.S. Government Won an Oscar

Today, the award is kept on permanent display in the National Archives

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