National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

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The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum established in December 2003. The museum's building, designed by David Adjaye, is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. It has close to 37,000 objects in its collection related to such subjects as community, family, the visual and performing arts, religion, civil rights, slavery, and segregation.

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Religious institutions serve spiritual as well as social needs, providing spaces for worship and connection, and establishing networks of care for those in need. Many also serve as schools for religious or secular education, and as bases for political activism and moral leadership in the struggle for freedom, civil rights, and social justice. Spiritual beliefs and faith practices offer hope and comfort, sustain the will to resist oppression, and instill values of self-determination and pride.
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African American Foundations of Faith
Smithsonian Institution18 places
Easily identified by its unique design that blends Greco-Roman and West African art and architecture, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture showcases everything from the victories of the Civil Rights Movement to harrowing stories of slavery. Located within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., you’ll explore influential permanent and rotating exhibitions that delve deep into African American culture, from food to language, art, and historical figures.
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9 Must-Visit Black History Museums
Places.Travel9 places
Since 1837, Black colleges have upheld W.E.B. DuBois’ assertion that carving out a welcoming environment to educate and celebrate Black youth was radical and dangerous to the status quo. Taught to study the human condition and interrogate the hypocrisies of American democracy, Black college students became vital to the struggle for liberation. HBCUs continue to produce industry leaders, serve as shelters in a time of storm, and endure as essential sources of contemporary activism and leadership.
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A Brief History of HBCUs
Smithsonian Institution111 places
Building on 19th-century activism, African Americans at the turn of the 20th century continued the struggle for civil rights. This timeline explores milestones from 1960 to 1978, watershed events, and the work of numerous organizations, legislators, educators, protestors, and organizers that ushered in civil rights reform. Lessons learned from their work reveal the civil rights strategies and victories that help inform present-day efforts to achieve equality.
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The Struggle for Civil Rights 1960–1978
Smithsonian Institution22 places
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is an 85,000-square-foot space spanning five floors with roughly 3,000 objects and 17 interactive stations. Each exhibit highlights some part of the Black experience in America, from the transatlantic slave trade to the contemporary Black Lives Matter movement. Artifacts include from a plane flown by Tuskegee Airmen, a Bible carried by the freedom fighter Nat Turner, the casket of Emmett Till, and a shawl worn by Harriet Tubman.
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9 US Places to Honor Black History
Viator9 places
“Located across from the White House, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is one of my favorite places to recharge, rebalance, and remind myself why I do what I do. It gives me a great sense of American history through the lens of African Americans and the contributions they have made to American society. Not only that, but it also has a rich history in the arts. It really gives you […] great understanding of the contributions of African Americans to the world.”
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Carlos Simon’s Washington, DC, Spots
Hyperlocal9 places
The Vietnam War (1955-1975), often intersected with the Civil Rights Movement. African American movements offered momentum for Native American, Latino, and Asian American movements, and concepts of “third world liberation” emerged, aligning the plights of people of color in the United States with issues overseas. Muhammad Ali compared the U.S.’s actions in Vietnam with the treatment of Blacks in the U.S., and Dr. Martin Luther King took a fierce antiwar stance. Visit the exhibit to learn more.
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Asian Pacific American Highlights
Smithsonian Institution10 places
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a museum that seeks to understand American history through the lens of the African American experience. We offer a selection of live, online events for all ages. Explore meditation as a practice in liberation, workshop a poem with a slam champion, take a deep-dive into a singular work of art with a docent, or log your child in to create their own work of art. These experiences and more are just a click away. Join us.
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Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Color Line
Smithsonian Institution17 places
From the Revolution through the Civil War, African Americans fought in every major war. The struggle for recognition stretches from 1770, when Crispus Attucks was among the first Americans to die in the Boston Massacre, and continued to 1865, when the 13th Amendment was ratified. From the Indian Wars of 1866 to the end of WWII in 1945, hundreds of thousands of African Americans served in a still segregated military. In 1948, Executive Order 9981 was signed, integrating the military; on paper.
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The African American Military Experience
Smithsonian Institution20 places
On February 6, 2012, Norma Merrick Sklarek passed away in Pacific Palisades, CA at the age of 85. Through her social engagement, leadership and management skills, and design expertise, Sklarek's actions and example helped expand and inspire the field of architecture. To learn more about the African American experience in the US through the stories of the people who lived its history and shaped its future, visit the National Museum of African American history in-person and online.
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Groundbreaking Architect Norma Sklarek
Smithsonian Institution22 places
Building on 19th-century activism, African Americans at the turn of the 20th century continued the struggle for civil rights. This timeline explores 20th-century milestones, watershed events, and the work of numerous organizations, legislators, educators, protestors, and organizers that ushered in civil rights reform. Lessons learned from their work reveal the civil rights strategies and victories that help inform present-day efforts to achieve equality.
More
The Struggle for Civil Rights 1900–1957
Smithsonian Institution22 places
Established in 2003 and opened to the public on the National Mall in 2016 (by then-President Barack Obama), the NMAAHC, a Smithsonian institution, is the largest Black history museum in the country. The shimmering 10-story building houses more than 40,000 objects in exhibits that detail Black history from slavery up to the present day.
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7 Black History Museums in the U.S.
Roadtrippers7 places
During the week of Kwanzaa, families and communities come together to share a feast, to honor the ancestors, affirm the bonds between them, and to celebrate African and African American culture. Each day they light a candle to highlight the principle of that day and to breathe meaning into the principles with activities such as reciting the sayings or writings of great black thinkers and writers, reciting original poetry, African drumming, and sharing a meal of African diaspora-inspired foods.
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Placing the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa
Smithsonian Institution8 places
The stunning building, inspired by Yoruba art and filigree ironwork, is filled with presentations and artifacts that give visitors a glimpse at all aspects—the good and the gut-wrenching—of the African American experience. It’s a must-visit for the entire family.
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DC Spots to Learn About Black History
Tinybeans11 places
The stunning building, inspired by Yoruba art and filigree ironwork, is filled with presentations and artifacts that give visitors a glimpse at all aspects—the good and the gut-wrenching—of the African American experience.
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The Best Things to Do with Kids in DC
Tinybeans19 places
From the inception of the modern Olympic Games, in 1896, these athletic contests have always been political. African American athletes have found varied ways to use the Olympics to advocate for social transformation. Some athletes let their athletic accomplishments speak for them. Others used the platform to demonstrate against racial injustice, display grace and beauty, and build meaningful alliances. The National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates these Olympians.
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African Americans at the Olympic Games
Smithsonian Institution18 places
The Sweet Home Cafe, located inside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, pays homage to the rich African, Native American, Caribbean, Latin American, and European influences in African American cooking.
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Restaurants that Celebrate Black History
Atlas Obscura7 places

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10:00AM5:30PM
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Closed Now
Sunday
10:00AM5:30PM
Monday
12:00PM5:30PM
Tue – Sat
10:00AM5:30PM