Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

#DYK between 1865 and 1876, as federal laws removed racial barriers to the ballot box and political office, many African American men held public office in Southern states and local governments. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory

#OnThisDay, in 1800 Nat Turner was born. As an enslaved person, Turner believed God called him to deliver his people from slavery. Turner used his talent as a preacher and radical orator to convince others to join his revolt. In 1831, he led a rebellion of enslaved people in Southampton County, Virginia, where he was born. The group of rebels marched throughout Southampton County, killing at least 55 people, including his master’s family, until authorities crushed the revolt. Turner avoided capture for nearly 2 months before he was caught, tried in the Southampton County Court, and hanged on November 11, 1831. Turner’s revolt sent shockwaves throughout the South, as many began to fear the possibility of future slave revolts and violent rebellion. In retaliation, many state and local governments throughout the South passed laws restricting enslaved people’s lives in response to Nat Turner’s rebellion. During the colonial period, anti-slavery practices, such as rebellions, abolitionist oration, metaphorical literature, and more, provided African Americans with the means to navigate oppression, emboldening them to create cultural heroes and figurative spaces of community and empowerment. Learn more on our Searchable Museum: https://s.si.edu/3clYeIB #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 1. (detail) 2. 3. Bible belonging to Nat Turner. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Maurice A. Person and Noah and Brooke Porter.

📅 This month, in celebration of the “Reclaiming My Time” exhibition, join us for “Designing for Rest and Reflection,” a roundtable discussion featuring designers from the exhibition, including Rachelle Baker, Stephen Burks, Sheila Bridges, and others. Also, join us for “NMAAHC Live: A Conversation between Bill Banfield and Ernie Isley.” Plus, don’t miss our poetry workshop exploring Phillis Wheatley’s writing style with international slam poetry champion, Anthony McPherson. Discover more on our October events: https://s.si.edu/3NsXP6t #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory

#OnThisDay in 1962, James Meredith became the first African American student at the University of Mississippi, despite fierce resistance from the campus community. After serving in the United States Air Force for 9 years, Meredith attended Jackson State University, a historically Black University in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1961, he was accepted to the University of Mississippi, but the school soon retracted its offer when the registrar discovered that he was Black. Meredith filed a lawsuit against the University, citing the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education ruling as the cause. He won the case with the help of activist Medgar Evers and other civil rights leaders, who provided legal assistance. Meredith was eventually accepted to the University but faced organized racist resistance to his enrollment. His time at the University was marked by isolation, leading him to dub himself as "the most segregated Negro in America." He faced ostracism from his peers, and some students even formed the Rebel Resistance group, which, in collaboration with the Citizens' Council, urged fellow students to avoid any interaction with Meredith. In 1963, Meredith graduated with a bachelor's in political science and later wrote about his experiences at the University in a memoir titled "Three Years in Mississippi." #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 1. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 2003688159. 2. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 2016646448.

“Across this country, young Black men and women have been infected with a fever of affirmation. They are saying, ‘We are Black and beautiful.” – Hoyt Fuller Our museum is a public institution open to all, where anyone is welcome to participate, collaborate, and learn more about African American history and culture. #ANationsStory #APeoplesJourney

Author, feminist, critic, activist and scholar bell hooks was born #OnThisDay in 1952. Born Gloria Jean Watkins to working-class parents in 1952, hooks grew up in the segregated city of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Her interest in poetry began at a young age as she recited the likes of Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes and Elizabeth Barrett Browning for her church community. hooks received her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and was only 19 when she began working on the draft for her first book, “Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism.” She would eventually publish more than 40 books and receive the National Book Award for Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. In her book, “Remembered Rapture: The Writer at Work,” hooks writes, “Writing is my passion. It is a way to experience the ecstatic. The root understanding of the word ecstasy— 'to stand outside'—comes to me in those moments when I am immersed so deeply in the act of thinking and writing that everything else, even flesh, falls away.” Her most notable works, including, “Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom” and “All About Love: New Visions”, influenced generations of feminists, educators and artists to approach their work with love and purposefulness. Her published works were diverse and ranged from scholarly books to films to children’s books and more. hooks, who passed away in 2021 is remembered as a force in feminist theory and in cultural criticism and continues to inspire a multitude of Black and women writers. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 Courtesy of Karjean Levine/Getty Images.

Our museum is honored to announce the acquisition of a larger-than-life, vibrant depiction of Nat Turner’s slave rebellion by artist Christopher Myers. The tapestry, titled “The Grim Work of Death,” is a monumental artwork and visual journey containing 32 feet of history and mythology surrounding Turner’s slave rebellion, currently on view on our museum’s Concourse Level. In 2022, Myers commemorated Turner’s life and legacy by creating this tapestry, which combines historical investigation with mythological storytelling. The tapestry is composed of a multitude of colorful fabrics, many of which are hand-sewn. In his bold, complex style, Myers stitches together various aspects of the rebellion’s narrative. Myers includes the literal instruments of death—farm tools, axes, picks and hammers—as well as mythological and religious motifs in the work. Several of the figures and design elements reference Turner’s prophetic visions that inspired his rebellion. Learn more: https://s.si.edu/3TEepDE 📸 “The Grim Work of Death,” 2022. Christopher Myers. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, © Christopher Myers.

#OnThisDay in 2016, our museum first opened its doors to the public. Today, we commemorate 8 years as the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact not only on America but also the world. We are grateful to every single visitor, volunteer, donor, contributor, builder, advocate, fellow, intern, community member, researcher, staffer and countless others who have made the pilgrimage to learn, invest and share in this constantly evolving story, preserving it for generations far beyond what we can imagine. This moment is only possible through your contributions and commitment. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸 Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC

Today, we remember the late musician Tito Jackson (1953-2024), a solo artist and founding member of The Jackson 5. Tito remained dedicated to music throughout his life and will be remembered for his contributions to music and popular culture. Here, he is pictured with his brothers in a fan’s scrapbook from the early 1970s. 📸 Page featuring The Jackson 5 from a scrapbook compiled by Gail Anderson, ca. 1972. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gail Anderson.

Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience. looks at the ways in which visual art has long provided its own protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans. Which objects resonate with you the most and why? Share in the comments below. #ANationsStory #APeoplesJourney 📸 1. Photo: @serafinaandrew on Instagram 2. Photo: @jnilesdehoff on Instagram 3. Photo: @sol.ar.one on Instagram 4. Photo: @adrianabasulto_ on Instagram 5. Photo: @kennedycooklive on Instagram 6. Photo: @micheleburrell on Instagram