Black History Month at the Museum

Explore Stories of Unsung Revolutionaries

 
Celebrate Black History Month and explore the stories of unsung Revolutionaries with the Museum this February. Through the Museum’s galleries, special exhibition, events for all ages, and online resources, experience a fuller and more inclusive history of the nation’s beginnings and discover that the Revolutionary story is for everyone.
 

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“I particularly liked how the story of the Indigenous people and enslaved people are not side notes, as so often is the case. The inclusion of many voices and perspectives was really well done. We will come back!”
— Visitor Laurie C.

WATCH: Troiani's "Brave Men as Ever Fought"

Take a closer look at this historic moment

Watch as Michael Idriss, African American Interpretive Fellow, explores one of Troiani's latest works depicting young James Forten — a free Black Philadelphian, Revolutionary War privateer, and abolitionist — watching Black and Native American troops of the Continental Army's Rhode Island Regiment marching past the Pennsylvania State House en route to Yorktown, Virginia on Sept. 2, 1781.

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Upcoming Events

Don’t Miss These Special Programs

Special events and programs will explore the essential contributions of free and enslaved people of African descent, including a virtual “Meet James Forten” evening event, a forum on racial understanding, and a Read the Revolution Speaker Series event with Dr. Kari J. Winter.

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EXPLORE: Finding Freedom Interactive

People of African descent in war-torn Virginia

In 1781, over 200,000 enslaved men, women, and children labored in Virginia’s fields, kitchens, stables, and shops. Discover the difficult decisions free and enslaved people of African descent made when the Revolutionary War tore through Virginia. Along the way you'll meet Eve, a young woman trying to keep her family together, 15-year-old trumpeter for the British Army, London, and many others.

Explore Their Stories

WATCH: "Meet Elizabeth Freeman"

First-Person Theatrical Performance

Watch the original first-person theatrical performance portraying the life and experiences of Elizabeth Freeman, a Massachusetts woman who sued for her freedom from enslavement and won, produced in conjunction with our past special exhibit, When Women Lost the Vote: A Revolutionary Story, 1776-1807. "Meet Elizabeth Freeman" stars Tiffany Bacon as Elizabeth Freeman and was written by Teresa Miller.

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Explore Even More Stories in Our Galleries

Explore more stories of free and enslaved people of African descent during the Revolutionary era. Meet Deborah Squash, who ran away from Mount Vernon and sought protection with the British Army; Olaudah Equiano, who purchased his own freedom and published a memoir; and Crispus Attucks, a dockworker of African and Native descent killed during the Boston Massacre and considered by many to be the first casualty of the American Revolution.

Plan Your Visit | Virtual Tour

Shop & Read

A Fool's Errand by Lonnie Bunch | $29.95

In its first four months of operation, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture surpassed one million visits and quickly became a cherished, vital monument to the African American experience. And yet this accomplishment was never assured. In A Fool’s Errand, founding director Lonnie Bunch tells what it took to realize this shared dream of many generations.

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