A People’s Journey
A Nation’s Story
Welcome to the Smithsonian
National Museum of African American History & Culture
Powerful moments in African American
history, culture, and community.
Collection Stories
Lives in Pieces
The donor, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, attended the September 18, 1963, funeral of three of the four girls killed in the bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
Carlotta Walls LaNier's Dress
In 1957, Carlotta Walls and six other African American students took on the difficult, dangerous task of integrating Little Rock Central High School. This dress tells the story of "Little Rock Nine" and the fight for a quality education for all Americans.
Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis won a staggering ten Olympic medals – nine of them gold – in track and field events while competing in four Olympic Games from 1984 to 1996.
The Marvelous Musical Prodigy
Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins was a blind African American autistic savant and musical prodigy. His flute is a beautiful example of a modern, high-end instrument of the time.
The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927
Devastating floods alter landscapes, ruin lives, and change the course of history.
The African American experience is the lens through which we understand what it is to be an American.
Lonnie G. Bunch III Founding Director, NMAAHC
