African American History

The August heat failed to deter demonstrators, no matter their age.

An Oral History of the March on Washington

Americans who marched on Washington 60 years ago under a blazing sun recall the day they were part of a turning point in history

Wendy Red Star’s The Soil You See… is a seven-foot-tall glass red thumbprint featuring the names of chiefs who signed treaties with the American government, usually with a fingerprint.

Outdoor Exhibition on the National Mall Spotlights Untold American Stories

In "Beyond Granite: Pulling Together," six artists have created works for a month-long display

Huey P. Newton (right) and his second wife, Fredrika Newton

The Misunderstood Visionary Behind the Black Panther Party

Huey P. Newton has been mythologized and maligned since his murder 34 years ago. His family and friends offer an intimate look inside his life and mind

Bélizaire and the Frey Children features an enslaved 15-year-old alongside three white children who were likely in his care.

Who Was the Enslaved Child Painted Out of This 1837 Portrait?

The painting of Bélizaire, 15, shown behind the children of his enslavers, has been acquired by the Met

Musicians Cindy Campbell and DJ Kool Herc take center stage in a 2013 celebration of the 40th anniversary of hip-hop. The brother and sister duo threw a "Back-to School Jam" in August, 1973 and launched a lasting music genre.

How Hip-Hop Was Born 50 Years Ago in a Block Party in the Bronx

Arising out of New York's close-knit Black communities, the genre revolutionized the music industry and gave rise to a new generation of sounds and stars

The city is asking the public to vote on five semi-finalist proposals, including this one by artist Basil Watson.

Five Ways of Looking at Harriet Tubman

Philadelphia has selected five semi-finalist proposals for a new statue at City Hall

Althea Gibson leaves Forest Hills court accompanied by Alice Marble and applause of spectators.

Sports Legend Althea Gibson Served Up Tennis History When She Broke Through in 1950

Her athletic performance in New York impressed onlookers of all colors and cracked opened the door for a new generation of Black players to come

Catoctin Furnace in Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland

DNA Links 42,000 Living People to Enslaved and Free African Americans Buried in Maryland

The research, initiated by the local African American community, could be a roadmap for future genealogy studies

Captivity, 1974 is a quilted version of a photo taken of Tyler after his initial arrest.

He Was Wrongfully Imprisoned for 41 Years. Now He Has His First Solo Exhibition

In "We Are the Willing," quilter Gary Tyler revisits his time in prison and explores his newfound freedom

Tupac Shakur designed the gold, ruby and diamond crown ring, which recently sold at auction for a little over $1 million.

Drake Buys the Most Valuable Hip-Hop Artifact Ever Sold: Tupac Shakur's Ring

Shakur designed the piece himself and wore it during his last public appearance before his death in 1996

The family of Henrietta Lacks pose with a statue of Henrietta Lacks and the artist at an unveiling in the United Kingdom in 2021.

Henrietta Lacks' Family Settles Lawsuit Over the Use of Her Cells Without Consent

Lacks' endlessly replicating cancer cells, collected without her knowledge in 1951, have enabled major medical breakthroughs

Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, at home in Chicago

Biden Establishes National Monument Honoring Emmett Till and His Mother

Three sites connected to the 14-year-old boy's murder in 1955 will now receive federal protection

The new app provides access to banned titles based on readers' locations.

Readers Can Now Access Books Banned in Their Area for Free With New App

Based on users' locations, the Banned Book Club provides e-book editions of titles banned in nearby libraries

The monument, designed by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous, will be placed at an entrance to Prospect Park.

A Monument Honoring Shirley Chisholm, the First Black Congresswoman, Is Coming to Brooklyn

After years of delays, New York City officially approved a statue commemorating the borough native and political trailblazer

President Harry S. Truman speaks from the dais at the Convention Hall as Kentucky Senator Alben Barkley (seated onstage in black suit) looks on during the 1948 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

The 1948 Democratic National Convention Is the Missing Link in Civil Rights History

Civil rights activists failed to expel an all-white, segregationist delegation. But their efforts foreshadowed later milestones in the fight for equality

The memorial wall inside the new Africatown Heritage House

New Exhibition Tells the Story of the 'Clotilda,' the Last Known American Slave Ship

A display spotlighting the schooner's survivors is now open inside the new Africatown Heritage House in Mobile, Alabama

Members of the New York International Salsa Congress dance during People en Español's Hispanic Heritage Month festival in 2019. The congress has collaborated with the International Salsa Museum in the past, and the groups are partnering again this Labor Day for the museum's next pop-up event.

A Salsa Museum Is Dancing Its Way to the Bronx

While the museum lacks a permanent home, it's bringing lively events to the "Borough of Salsa"

In the exhibition, Basquiat’s art and objects are described not in esoteric art world terms but in loving, even playful ways, often from the perspective of his sisters, Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux

For Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's Family, This Exhibition Was a Means of Grieving

Visitors to "Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure," now in Los Angeles, walk through the late artist’s studio and connect with him on a personal level

Protesters attend a rally in support of affirmative action in college admissions on October 31, 2022.

The History Behind the Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Decision

The phrase, first used in early 20th-century employment laws, is at the center of two new rulings against its use in higher education

Big Boi in between verses at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta on September 10, 2016.

A Rap Legend Looks Back on 50 Years of Hip-Hop

Outkast’s Big Boi traces the genre’s indelible impact on global music and culture

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