Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

Black women have consistently shaped the religious beliefs, customs, and spiritual practices of the world. Explore stories of sacred and spiritual leadership, rooted in faith and tradition: https://s.si.edu/4knM1BI. ?? 1. Sojourner Truth. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. 2. The Glorious Qur'an. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Laila Muhammad, Daughter of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. 3. Wooden drum used on the Sea Islands, South Carolina. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. 4. Wooden prayer beads owned by Suliaman El-Hadi. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Qaddafi El-Hadi in memory of Suliaman El-Hadi. 5. The Holy Bible. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. 6. Miniature Black Madonna. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alan Laird. 7. Mahalia Jackson. Photograph by Lacey Crawford. 8. Photograph by James L. Mitchell. 9. Clara Ward, ca. 1959. Photograph by Moneta Sleet Jr. Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

This April, join us in honor of D.C. Emancipation Day, commemorating the freeing of over 3,000 enslaved individuals. Join our annual District Day event on April 16! Experience live performances, a trunk show, and indulge in a special menu as we celebrate this significant moment in history. Dive into more of our April events including: ?? April 6: “each other’s harvest”: an afternoon of poetry, community, and address ?? April 8: Historically Speaking: “The Feast of Genius and the Play of Art”: The Legacies and Communities of Phillis Wheatley Peters ?? April 12: A Community Art + Justice Evening – Freedom Making Through the Arts ?? April 19: Culinary Cousins: Roots, Heart, & Soul with Chef Todd Richards – A Journey Through the African Diaspora Discover more on our April events: https://s.si.edu/4iKAGKF #APeopleJourney #ANationsStory #DistrictDay

Celebrating the multifaceted brilliance of Black women this #WomensHistoryMonth, we asked members of our staff to share their wish for the Black woman.

"There is no place you or I can go . . . to summon the presences of, or recollect the absences of slaves... There is no suitable memorial, or plaque, or wreath, or wall, or park, or skyscraper lobby. There’s no 300-foot tower, there’s no small bench by the road... And because such a place doesn’t exist... the book had to.” -Toni Morrison on her award-winning novel, "Beloved." #OnThisDay in 1988, Toni Morrison won a Pulitzer Prize for “Beloved.” The novel, which was set in the years after the Civil War, was inspired by the life of Margaret Garner, an African American woman who escaped enslavement in Kentucky in late 1856. The novel addressed themes including mother-daughter relationships, the psychological effects of enslavement, manhood, and universal pain. “Beloved” was adopted as a 1998 movie of the same name starring Oprah Winfrey and directed by Jonathan Demme. Morrison explained her motivation for writing was to memorialize African men, women, and children who were forcefully enslaved in the United States. #SmithsonianWHM #WomensHistoryMonth ?? Photograph by James L. Mitchell. Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

In 1839, a group of 53 Africans who had been trafficked from Sierra Leone to Cuba revolted aboard the Spanish slaving vessel La Amistad. Led by Sengbe, the captives freed themselves, overtook the ship, and demanded that the surviving crew return them to Africa. In secret, the remaining sailors steered La Amistad toward the United States. The ship was intercepted in American waters, where the international slave trade had been legally abolished. The rebels were arrested and jailed on charges of murder, mutiny, and piracy. Their actions and the ensuing trial sparked international debate over sovereignty and freedom. In 1840, 18-year-old William Townsend sketched these powerful portraits of the Amistad rebels as they awaited trial in New Haven, Connecticut. These portraits highlight the humanity and individuality of these captives who risked their lives in the pursuit of freedom. One year later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the African captives were legally free and held the right to resist unlawful slavery. The rebels were left to raise funds for their trip home. With the aid of American abolitionists, thirty-five survivors returned to Sierra Leone in 1841. Learn more in our first international traveling exhibition, “In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World,” on view through June 8, 2025: https://s.si.edu/3VHimJo #InSlaverysWake #APeoplesJourney ?? Portraits of Marqu, Fargina, Little Kale, Fuli, 1840. William H. Townsend, Sketches of the Amistad Captives, General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Eid Mubarak! Today begins Eid al-Fitr, translated as "the feast of fast-breaking" commemorating the end of the holy month of Ramadan during which Muslims fast from before dawn until after sunset each day. The activities of the 3-day celebration marking Eid al-Fitr vary from country to country but include prayer, visiting family and friends, giving presents, enjoying feasts, wearing new clothes, and visiting the graves of relatives. Through these celebrations, Muslims show their gratitude to Allah after reflecting and fasting during Ramadan. There is an outpouring of kindness and charity to others. This charity, called Zakat al-Fitr helps ensure that all can participate in the festivities. Prayer consists of two cycles of standing and reciting the Qur'an, bowing, and prostrating in glorification of Allah, followed by a sermon and supplications, all led by an Imam. After prayers, and throughout the day, it is common to visit family and friends and exchange gifts. Famed African American photographer Chester Higgins captured peace and the power of prayer in his works featured in our collection: https://s.si.edu/3TCKdrV ?? Salat. Photograph by: Chester Higgins. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, ? Chester Higgins, All Rights Reserved.

Historically, Black women activists, including Mary McLeod Bethune and Anna Julia Cooper, often positioned access to education as foundational to their fights for social equality. On September 4, 1952, Autherine Lucy and Pollie Anne Myers joined their ranks, by initiating a courageous battle to challenge segregation at The University of Alabama. The women, who originally met as undergraduate students on the campus of Miles College, sought entry into graduate programs on the predominantly White UA campus. Their applications for admission initially earned Lucy and Myers acceptance letters, only to have them rescinded nine days later when school officials noted their race. Through a series of legal battles that lasted nearly four years, Lucy was finally admitted and began classes in February 1956. (Myers’ application was later rejected using a morals clause, which voided her acceptance). Lucy’s campus access was restricted, however, and she was denied use of the dining hall and dormitories. She also faced mob violence from other students during the first three days on campus. Fearing increased mob violence, the university's Board of Trustees voted to remove Lucy, for her own protection. They expelled Lucy for defaming the school days later when her attorneys accused the university of being complicit in the mob violence. In 1988, The University of Alabama officially annulled her expulsion, which allowed her to re-enroll, this time with her daughter Grazia, who was an undergraduate student. In December 1991, she completed her master’s degree in elementary education. UA awarded her an honorary doctorate and in February 2022, renamed the College of Education, the building in which she took refuge during the riots of 1956, in recognition of her role in desegregation. #WomensHistoryMonth #SmithsonianWHM Learn more about Lucy and other woman activists like her: https://s.si.edu/4knM1BI. ?? Courtesy of Bettmann /Getty Images.

Today, we remember George Foreman, a legendary boxing champion and entrepreneur whose remarkable career spanned the ring and the business world. Born in Marshall, Texas, in 1949, Foreman became a global icon in boxing. After winning a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, he quickly rose to prominence, becoming the world heavyweight champion in 1973 after defeating Joe Frazier. His most famous fight, the “Rumble in the Jungle” against Muhammad Ali in 1974, remains an iconic moment in sports history. Learn more about his life and legacy: https://s.si.edu/3FG9jmm. ?? 1. Photograph by Fred Watkins Jr. 2. & 3. Photograph by Vandell Cobb. 4. Photograph by Ozier Muhammad. Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Diana Ross was born #OnThisDay in 1944. Ross began singing in the group The Primettes (later The Supremes) with friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Barbara Martin as a teenager. The legendary performer achieved international stardom, first as a member of the group, and later as its lead. Signed to Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. in 1961, The Supremes scored their first No. 1 hit with "Where Did Our Love Go?" (1964). Ross and the group scored a monumental twelve No. 1 hits, including "I Hear a Symphony" (1965), "You Can't Hurry Love" (1966), and "Someday We'll Be Together" (1969). Ross struck out on a solo singing career in 1969, which garnered additional chart-topping hits, including the No. 1 duet “Endless Love,” (1981) with Lionel Richie. Ross was also an accomplished actress, starring in films including “Mahogany,” “Lady Sings the Blues,” “The Wiz,” and “Out of Darkness.” Ross has received Golden Globe and Tony Award accolades, as well as several American Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (along with The Supremes). Ross received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2012 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. #WomensHistoryMonth #APeoplesGroove ?? 1. Photograph by Leroy Patton. 2. & 3. Photograph by G. Marshall Wilson. Johnson Publishing Company Archive. Courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Dorothy Irene Height was born in Richmond, Virginia #OnThisDay in 1912. Height went on to graduate from New York University where she received a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in psychology. Height began her career in the 1930s as a community organizer and social worker with the Harlem YWCA. In 1937 she joined the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and worked closely with Mary McLeod Bethune in the crusade for women’s rights and racial justice. She then went on to lead the NCNW from 1957 to 1998. During her tenure as president, the NCNW developed community-based programs that improved the lives of African American women, children, and families by addressing inequities in areas such as nutrition, education, employment, and housing. Height also led the campaign to build a memorial to Bethune in Washington, D.C. and oversaw the establishment of the NCNW Council House as a museum and National Historic Site. Her activism led her to initiate a series of meetings with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s, encourage President Eisenhower to desegregate schools in the 1950s, work alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s. She worked with Polly Spiegel Cowan, a Jewish community activist, to create the “Wednesdays in Mississippi” program, which was an interracial, interfaith effort to bring Black and white women in the North and South together in the struggle for civil rights. After 1965, the program continued as Workshops in Mississippi, focusing on supporting economic development in rural southern communities. In 1986, Height organized the first Black Family Reunion, a celebration of traditions and values which is still held annually. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 for her civil rights activism. Height died in 2010 at the age of 98. Learn more our Searchable Museum: https://s.si.edu/4bQ1lCJ #SmithsonianWHM #WomensHistoryMonth ?? Courtesy of Monica Morgan / WireImage / Getty Images.