African American History

Maureen Yancey donated her late son’s Akai MIDI Production Center 3000 Limited Edition (MPC) and his custom-made Minimoog Voyager synthesizer to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The Legacy of Hip-Hop Producer J Dilla Will Be Recognized

The late producer's mother announced she is donating his synthesizer and beat machine to the African American History Museum

The descendants of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison donated ten items to the National Museum of African American History and Culture this month.

The Descendants of Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison Donate Family Heirlooms

Objects belonging to the anti-slavery advocate spent a century collecting dust in an attic. Now they're on their way to the African-American history museum

More than 1,200 newspapers serve ethnic communities across America. Current front pages from some of those publications are on display at the Newseum.

News For All: How the Immigrant Experience Shaped American Media

From Benjamin Franklin to Noticiero Univision, the Newseum discusses the profound influence of immigrants on modern news

Itinerant African American musicians played to so many different audiences that they had to be as versatile as a jukebox.

Before There was the Blues Man, There Was the Songster

A new release from Smithsonian Folkways celebrates the diverse sounds of turn-of-the-century itinerant musicians

The Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership is a 1,200-pound aluminum stage prop that once stole the show at funk singer George Clinton's concerts. Now, it's a part of the Smithsonian's permanent collections.

Watch George Clinton's P-Funk Mothership Get Reassembled For Its Museum Debut

A timelapse video shows Smithsonian curators rebuilding one of music's most iconic stage props—the Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership

This month's Atlantic cover story by Ta-Nehisi Coates is generating some serious discussion about "The Case for Reparations."

America's Moral Debt to African Americans

The director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture joins the discussion around "The Case for Reparations"

Maya Angelou by Ross Rossin, 2013.

Maya Angelou Was One of the Most Influential Voices of Our Time

Maya Angelou was poet, novelist, educator, producer, actress, filmmaker, dancer and civil rights activist

The U.S. Coast Survey map calculated the number of slaves in each county in the United States in 1860.

These Maps Reveal How Slavery Expanded Across the United States

As the hunger for more farmland stretched west, so too did the demand for enslaved labor

Beneath Anderson's coat is a bright orange velour jacket, a form-fitting number trimmed in gold with turquoise buttons, now among the collections at the Smithsonian.

When Marian Anderson Sang at the Lincoln Memorial, Her Voice Stunned the Crowd, and Her Gold-Trimmed Jacket Dazzled

With no color photos of her famous performance in existence, the brilliance of Marian Anderson's bright orange outfit has been lost, until now

New to the collections: John Coltrane's 1965 Mark VI tenor saxophone

A Sax Supreme: John Coltrane's Legendary Instrument Joins the Collections of the American History Museum

Ravi Coltrane, son of jazz musicians John and Alice Coltrane, donates one of his father's three saxophones

Solomon Northup, portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years A Slave.

The New York Times' 1853 Coverage of Solomon Northup, the Hero of "12 Years A Slave"

Northup's story garnered heavy press coverage and spread widely in the weeks and months after he was rescued

A nurse training program at the Central State Hospital.

Psychiatric Records for African American Patients Are Rare, And This Hospital Has a Century's Worth

Researchers are attempting to digitize and preserve the tens of thousands of patient records from the Central State Hospital

When Cassius Clay Signed His Gloves With a Prediction of His Future Greatness

In 1964, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay was largely untested as a pro. Then he stepped into the ring

None

The Stark Reminders of the Birmingham Church Bombing

Upon the 60th anniversary of the tragic attack, these stained glass shards recall the day that saw four girls killed in Alabama

None

Slave Cabin Set to Become Centerpiece of New Smithsonian Museum

A slave cabin from a South Carolina plantation is being shipped to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture

None

Today is Juneteenth, the Most Important Holiday No One Knows About

None

Shovels Break Ground for the New National Museum of African American History and Culture

Dignitaries plunge their shovels into a small rectangle of dirt, marking the groundbreaking for the 19th Smithsonian museum

Growing up in multiple countries has allowed architect David Adjaye to always be highly sensitive to the cultural framework of different peoples in his designs.

Q&A: Architect David Adjaye On His Vision for the New Museum

The designer of the National Museum of African American History and Culture talks about his vision for the new building

The PT-13D prepared Tuskegee Airmen for war.

The Tuskegee Airmen Plane's Last Flight

The final voyage of a World War II biplane evokes the exploits of the legendary fighting force

In 1849, Harriet Tubman fled Maryland to Philadelphia. Soon after, Tubman began her exploits—acts of bravery that would make her a legend.

Harriet Tubman's Hymnal Evokes a Life Devoted to Liberation

A hymnal owned by the brave leader of the Underground Railroad brings new insights into the life of the American heroine

Page 53 of 54