Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos

Washington, Washington DC 24,479 followers

About us

A museum that seeks to understand American history through the lens of the African American experience. Legal: http://si.edu/termsofuse

Website
http://nmaahc.si.edu
Industry
Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
Company size
51-200 employees
Headquarters
Washington, Washington DC
Type
Nonprofit

Locations

Employees at Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

Updates

  • In the 1960s, “Black is Beautiful” became a rallying cry connecting people of African descent worldwide. The movement rejected Eurocentric beauty ideals and affirmed the diversity of natural beauty and features found in communities across the African diaspora. Black is Beautiful radically disavowed centuries of anti-Black racism and white supremacy and called for an embrace of African fashion and Afro hair styles. Importantly, the movement also sparked an interest in centering African histories and cultural beliefs in all facets of life, from education to art. Learn more in our new exhibition, “In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World” opening December 13, 2024. #InSlaverysWake #APeoplesJourney 📸 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Courtesy of the Kwame Brathwaite Archive & Philip Martin Gallery, © Kwame Brathwaite.

    • A color photograph portrait of Sikolo Brathwaite captured at the African Jazz-Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) studio in Harlem. The Grandassa model is depicted in bust pose from the shoulders up against an olive green background. She is turned in a three-quarters profile view, facing the left edge of the photograph. She is wearing a round collared garment constructed from a green fabric with a magenta and black floral pattern. She is also wearing metal, tiered, drop earrings with three metal bells on the bottom. Her hair is arranged in a natural afro hairstyle.
  • Headwraps have centuries-old roots in Western Africa where they were worn as a practical form of protection against the sun and the wind, as well as a cultural symbol of beauty and identity. During the era of racial slavery, some slave societies required enslaved women to wear headwraps as punitive markers of racial hierarchy, separating people of color from Europeans. However, headwraps also served as a means of resistance—used by the enslaved to communicate with one another and express cultural heritage. Today, headwraps continue to be a symbol of pride for many Africans and people of African descent. Learn more in our new exhibition, “In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World” opening December 13, 2024. #InSlaverysWake #APeoplesJourney 📸 Alberto Henschel/Gilberto Ferrez Collection/Moreira Salles Institute Collection.

    • Vintage portrait of a woman wearing a head wrap and off-shoulder dress.
  • Mahalia Jackson was born #OnThisDay in 1911. Jackson sang what many called the soundtrack of the civil rights movement. Full of power and spiritual resolve, Jackson used her singing talent to inspire, nourish and strengthen the participants of the civil rights movement. As a child growing up in New Orleans, Jackson sang at church and as a teen traveled and performed with gospel composer Thomas A. Dorsey. For many, Mahalia Jackson's voice represented mystery and majesty. In describing the legendary gospel singer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who chose her to sing at the March on Washington in 1963, said, "A voice like hers comes along once in a millennium." Jackson won 5 Grammy Awards, including Best Soul-Gospel Performance in 1976 for the song, “How I Got Over.” More on our Searchable Museum: https://s.si.edu/3SjWi6l #APeoplesJourney 📸 Photographs by Isaac Sutton. Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

    • Black and white portrait of Mahalia Jackson with a thoughtful expression, illuminated from the side.
    • Black and white photograph of Mahalia Jackson wearing sunglasses and sitting on large rocks by the edge of the river.
    • Black and white photograph of Mahalia Jackson in a supermarket. The market has various sections with signs and other shoppers around.
    • Black and white photograph of Mahalia Jackson standing at a microphone, singing, in a patterned dress and wearing eyeglasses.
  • #OnThisDay in 1997, over a half million African American women gathered on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia for the Million Woman March, which sought to inspire African American women across the nation to work for their own improvement as well as that of their communities. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 1. Courtesy of TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images. 2. Courtesy of Jonathan Elderfield/Getty Images.

    • A color photograph of African American women cheering during a speaker's comments at the Million Woman March on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on October 25 in Philadelphia, PA.
    • A color photograph of a sea of people gathering for the "Million Woman March" in Washington, D.C., on October 25, 1997.
  • #OnThisDay, in 1964, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris was born. The Oakland, California native aspired from an early age to “look after and protect” others. She graduated from Howard University, a historically Black institution, and the University of California Hastings College of Law. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first Greek-lettered sorority established by African American college women. In 2004, Vice President Harris was elected District Attorney of San Francisco and, in 2010, Attorney General of California, where she oversaw the largest state justice department in the country. Harris was the first Black woman to serve as California’s attorney general and the second Black woman to serve in the Senate. In July 2024, she began her bid for election as U.S. President—the highest office in the land. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 Courtesy of Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.

    • A color photograph of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris looking on as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff speaking during a reception celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 20, 2024, in Washington, DC.
  • #OnThisDay in 1995, the Million Man March was held on and around the National Mall in Washington, DC. The organizing committee, composed of the National African American Leadership Summit, leading civil rights activists, the Nation of Islam, and local chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, invited prominent speakers to address the audience. Women, in conjunction with March leadership, organized a parallel event called the ‘Day of Absence’ that same day, in which all African Americans were encouraged to stay home from their typical work, school, and social engagements in order to attend teach-ins and worship services as a means of focusing on building the self-sufficiency of Black communities. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 1. 2. 3. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Roderick Terry, © Roderick Terry.

    • This black-and-white photograph depicts a crowd of men on the National Mall during the Million Man March. Looking down the National Mall towards the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Castle is visible on the left, and an equestrian statue of Ulysses S. Grant is on the right. The crowd carries various signs; two signs are legible. One reads "JESUS IS LORD," and the other "Zion Hill Church /Rochester /New York." In the foreground, one man in a baseball cap looks toward the viewer.
    • This black-and-white photograph depicts a man and his two young sons; he carries the younger one on his shoulders while holding the older one in front of him, arms around his shoulders. They stand slightly away from the viewer. All three wear baseball caps; the oldest son has turned his backwards. They and the surrounding men gaze intently to the right. In the background, a man is visible, sitting in the upper branches of a tree.
    • This black-and-white photograph depicts a man leaning on a roughly cut-out wooden sign that reads "1 / LOVE." Wearing a polo shirt and a light zip-up jacket, he gazes to the viewer's right. In the background is a milling crowd of men, slightly out of focus.
  • Born #OnThisDay in 1948, André Leon Talley was the former creative director and editor-at-large for Vogue magazine and fashion journalist at Women’s Wear Daily. Throughout his career, Talley provided insight and excitement about the world of fashion. The graduate of North Carolina Central University came from a background rooted in Southern Blackness and rural beginnings to become an iconic name in fashion, styling, and creative direction. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 Courtesy of Taylor Hill/Getty Images.

    • A color photo of Vogue Contributing Editor Andre Leon Talley speaking at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on June 18, 2017, in New York City.
  • #OnThisDay in 1859, John Brown began his raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Brown supported many enslaved African Americans’ desires to rise in armed rebellion against the injustice of enslavement. He openly advocated for the use of violence to end slavery as an institution. Though he was a white American, Brown lived in a Black community established by abolitionist Gerrit Smith. Brown became enraged by the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, which made it illegal to help runaways and required white citizens to assist in their capture. Brown’s 1859 rebellion was the actualization of fears that supporters of the Fugitive Slave Law had about white abolitionists helping coordinate slave rebellions. Several militias ended Brown's insurrection after just 36 hours. Of the 19 men who made up Brown’s forces, 10 were killed, 5 imprisoned, and the others fled. Four townspeople also died, and more than a dozen militiamen were wounded. Brown and his captured men were charged with treason, first-degree murder and "conspiring with Negroes to produce insurrection." All the charges carried the death penalty. Brown was executed by hanging on the morning of December 2, 1859. Learn more on our Searchable Museum: https://s.si.edu/45xYKc2 #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 Carte-de-visite of John Brown, ca. 1855. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

    • A black and white sepia portrait of John Brown standing in a three piece suit with his hands in his pockets. There is a white border around the image with the text ["JOHN BROWN"] printed in the bottom center.
  • Today’s the last chance to apply for our museum’s 🌸 Spring 2025 internship! Interns will have opportunities to work closely with museum professionals and scholars through a dynamic learning environment with access to supportive mentors.

    Intern at one of Washington, D.C.'s most exciting museums! 🌸️ Our museum provides a dynamic learning environment and access to supportive mentors that help interns reach their educational and professional goals. Interns can gain practical museum skills and program development experience in a variety of traditional and non-traditional museum careers. "I loved and still cherish my internship at NMAAHC. It was the highlight of my undergraduate career. Working at such a meaningful, symbolic, and impactful organization gave me a sense of purpose, especially as a young Black woman in America." - Jada A., Curatorial Internship intern (2019) Learn more and apply before Tuesday, October 15: https://s.si.edu/434KJ4x

    • A designed graphic with a periwinkle background and black design elements. An image of a student intern on the right side of the graphic above are the words [APPLY TODAY!] Bullet points read: Hybrid, virtual & onsite, Hands-on professional, part-time and full-time positions available, 10-13 weeks in duration, Professional development and enrichment workshops and training, Dynamic and supportive learning environment, Stipends paid, and Academic credit offered. | APPLICATION CLOSES: OCTOBER 15, 2024!]The black logo for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History is in the bottom left corner.
  • #OnThisDay, George Floyd would have turned 51. Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1973, Floyd played basketball and football at Jack Yates Senior High School. His talent earned him notoriety as a tight end, and he led the football team's 1992 Texas state championship. Floyd was later recruited to play basketball at South Florida State College in Avon Park, Florida. Floyd gained local notoriety by performing with popular Houston rapper DJ Screw and his Screwed Up Click under the name "Big Floyd." Floyd's deep baritone flow on songs like "Sittin' on Top of the World" and "Freestyle-Sugar Hill" helped popularize the slowed-down rapping style known as "chopped and screwed." A devoted Christian, Floyd worked alongside pastor Patrick "PT" Ngwolo, Resurrection Houston Church, to distribute Bibles, set up baptisms, and reach out to those living in Cuney Homes Housing Projects. Floyd worked several jobs — at a local Salvation Army shelter, as a truck driver, and as a nightclub bouncer. Described as a "shining light in the community," Floyd went out of his way to help others and encourage those in need. Stephanie Square, a neighborhood friend, told NPR, "He was always encouraging… he never stopped. All he did was encourage everyone and tell you words like, I'm so proud of you; you're going to make it; you're going to be an example to a lot of others. I think that's his legacy, and that's what we try to do - is to just continue to give back and do the same thing, encourage the younger ones." #SayHisName 📸 Courtesy of Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images.

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