Welcome Back!
Today is our reopening day! We're excited to join Dr. Anthea Hartig, our Elizabeth MacMillan Director, in welcoming back visitors to our museum.
To create a safe environment for our visitors, we're reopening with enhanced health and safety measures, including free timed-entry passes. You can reserve passes on our website. We'll be open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. from Friday through Tuesday, with last entry at 3:30 p.m. We'll be closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. At this time, all of our available timed-entry passes for this weekend (9/25-9/27) have been reserved, but many passes are available for next week and beyond.
A few things to know: visitors ages six and older are required to wear face coverings during their visit, and face coverings are also highly recommended for all visitors between the ages of two and six, per CDC guidelines. Groups larger than six won't be permitted, and visitors will need to maintain at least six feet of distance between themselves and people outside their group. Some spaces in our museum—including our cafeteria, cafe, hands-on spaces like Draper Spark!Lab and Wegmans Wonderplace, and many of our stores—will remain closed until further notice.
Planning a visit? Visit our website to learn more and reserve a free ticket: https://s.si.edu/visit-NMAH
Not ready or able to visit yet? We'll continue to offer online programs and distance learning resources and share stories from our nation’s history here. Our website has lots to explore: exhibitions, blogs, videos, and more than a million objects and records.
Join us for the 2020 National Youth Summit!
"The influence of young people in American democracy and American history is really unheralded. . ."
Teachers and caregivers: we hope you and your students will join us today at 3 p.m. EDT for the 2020 National Youth Summit. Together, we'll explore Claudette Colvin's protest and legal battle against segregation as well as teens’ ongoing work to fight systemic injustice in our nation. This year's program will include speakers Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, Kimberly Boateng, Dr. Jeanne Theoharis, Sara Mora, and our own Elizabeth MacMillan Director, Dr. Anthea Hartig.
Watch our director's introduction to the summit below and register your classroom for the summit today. Registrations for today's live program will be open until 12 p.m. EDT.
Can't make today's program? Don't worry—if you register at any time this week, we'll send you the materials you need to facilitate a summit with your students whenever it's most convenient for you: https://s.si.edu/nys
Welcoming new U.S. citizens with musician José Feliciano and "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Happy Citizenship Day! In 2018, artist José Feliciano helped us welcome 19 new U.S. citizens with his signature rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" during their Flag Day naturalization ceremony.
Our Preparing for the Oath website is designed to support aspiring citizens’ efforts to prepare for the civics portion of the naturalization test. Visit the site today to brush up on your civics knowledge and take a practice test: https://americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/
#CitizenshipDay #ConstituionDay
Episode 2: Marches - Conversations in Context
On this day in 1917, nearly 10,000 Black Americans marched down Fifth Avenue in total silence, in what is widely considered the first mass civil rights protest in NYC history.
Learn more about the Silent Parade, and the profound impact of marches, on the new episode of Conversations in Context - a discussion between Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch and Dometi Pongo - now playing. #BlackHistoryMatters
How sitting in in Greensboro changed the nation
On February 1st, 1960, four African American college students—Jibreel Khazan, Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, and David Richmond —sat down at a lunch counter in Greensboro, NC and helped change the nation.
The lunch counter was desegregated six months later, on July 25th, 1960.
The sit ins inpsired action across the country, including sit ins organized by young activists like John Lewis and Diane Nash.
Episode 1: Movements - Conversations in Context
Sixty years ago today, the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, was desegregated after six months of sit-in protests.
History can give us the context to better understand the protest movement we're living through today. Learn more about this key moment in Black history on Episode 1 of Conversations in Context - the first installment in a series of conversations between Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch and Dometi Pongo from MTV News, now playing. #BlackHistoryMatters
How will you take action?
Our director, Dr. Anthea M. Hartig, shares thoughts and a call to action as our Viral Histories video series concludes. You can explore it all at s.si.edu/ViralHistories
"We all make choices that will shape history"
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch has a call to action for us all this Asian American history month. Learn more at s.si.edu/ViralHistories
A Business Owner's Perspective with Bad Saint's Genevieve Villamora
Genevieve Villamora, co-owner of Bad Saint, shares her experience closing her restaurant and as she looks to reopening.
Documenting Racism with Russell Jeung
As a professor of Asian American Studies, Russell Jeung knew that Asian American communities historically have been scapegoated during pandemics. He joined us to share lessons he learned from the past—both about racism and acts of resistance—and how it inspired him to take action.
What do we take for granted? with Abigaile De Mesa
Abigaile De Mesa is a supervising nurse living and working in New Jersey. We spoke with her about her experiences on the front lines and her connection to nursing history.
The story of the Chinatown Health Fair
In the 1970s, Regina Lee worked to bring the medical exam room to her community in New York's Chinatown. This project was built on a long history of community organizing in Chinatowns, and became Lee's life work.
What drives us to build community strength and resiliency during an emergency?
Asian American communities are experiencing a rise in racism and xenophobia. We're talking to community leaders on the front lines about what they're facing today, its historic roots, and more.
Max Leung is the founder of SF Peace Collective, a group responding to anti-Asian violence in San Francisco.
Song for the Harvest
Its Thursday. The work week/school week is more than half over. Tomorrow is a new month. You're doing great.
Treat yourself to a few minutes of relaxation (and celebrate the last day of Jazz Appreciation Month) with this video of our Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra performing Toshiko Akyoshi's "Song for the Harvest."
Support of jazz programming is made possible by the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation; The Argus Fund; the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, founding donor of the Jazz Appreciation Month endowment; David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn; Goldman Sachs; and the John Hammond Performance Series Endowment Fund.
(This video was recorded in 2019.)
Today in 1960: Young activists gathered at a conference in North Carolina. It was there that the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was formed.
From sit-ins and Freedom Rides to voter registration drives, SNCC challenged segregation and racism through direct action.
Several of SNCC's leaders, including John Lewis, Diane Nash, James Lawson, Bob Moses, and surviving members of the Greensboro Four, work with the museum to inspire today’s students to make their voice heard.
Explore conversations with them and related educational resources: https://historyexplorer.si.edu/major-themes/theme/civil-rights-movement
We're mesmerized by this video of a conservators cleaning a botanical model. We invite you to take a 30 second break and watch with us.
Last year our conservators carefully several of the botanical models in the collection. This model was used as a teaching aid in a pharmacology school.
You can see the finished product and similar botanical models here: https://s.si.edu/2wDQhty
It's Friday!
Take a few moments to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and listen to this clip from Toshiko Akiyoshi's "Song for the Harvest."
Pianist, band leader, and composer-arranger Toshiko Akiyoshi has received fourteen Grammy Award nominations and was the first woman to win Best Arranger and Composer awards in Down Beat magazine's annual Readers' Poll. Akiyoshi is featured on this year's Jazz Appreciation Month poster. Download or request one here: https://s.si.edu/2VnAIys
Support of jazz programming is made possible by the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation; The Argus Fund; the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, founding donor of the Jazz Appreciation Month endowment; David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn; Goldman Sachs; and the John Hammond Performance Series Endowment Fund.
You're doing great. Yes, you.
Take a brief break and stretch (or dance) with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.
Support of jazz programming is made possible by the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation; The Argus Fund; the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, founding donor of the Jazz Appreciation Month endowment; David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn; Goldman Sachs; and the John Hammond Performance Series Endowment Fund.
Meet the Wide Awakes
These young people helped make Lincoln president.
How young people shake up elections
From the 1860s (well actually before the 1860s) and through today, young people (with or without the vote) can make a big difference in elections.
Meet Mabel Lee
Mabel Ping-Hua Lee was 16 when she marched for women’s right to vote.
Lee fought for women’s suffrage, even though after the 19th Amendment was ratified, she would still be barred from voting by laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act. Learn more at: s.si.edu/youth-democracy
How has how we think about philanthropy changed over time?
How Americans have given (and thought about giving) has changed over time. On #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving, join us for a deep dive into philanthropy history.
The Philanthropy Initiative is made possible by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and David M. Rubenstein, with additional support by the Fidelity Charitable Trustees' Initiative, a grantmaking program of Fidelity Charitable.
#AmericanGiving #philanthropy
John Leguizamo on Chita Rivera
"She was one of the first Latina pioneers on Broadway. She was a triple threat."
John Leguizamo talks about Chita Rivera's role in American history and takes a look at her costume from "Kiss of the Spider Woman."
John Leguizamo on Celia Cruz
¡Azúcar! Join John Leguizamo behind the scenes in our collections room to take a closer look at Celia Cruz’s shoes. “Queen of Salsa” became known for her strong voice, personality and colorful costumes.
John Leguizamo on Cantinflas
Before #HispanicHeritageMonth ends, we're going behind the scenes with John Leguizamo to take a closer look at some of the Latino history in our collections. First up: Cantinflas!
Stay tuned for more!
Las Cafeteras go behind the scenes at the National Museum of American History
Las Cafeteras goes behind the scenes in our collections room, exploring some musical history and sharing a song of their own.
Paul Simon, Great American
We are proud to present our signature honor, the Great Americans Medal, to musician, songwriter, philanthropist, and humanitarian Paul Simon.
The Great Americans Medal honors individuals who have not only made a lasting impact in their fields, and whose philanthropic and humanitarian endeavors set them apart.
Simon is the sixth recipient of the medal, and first musician. An accomplished musician and songwriter, Simon also supports youth and environmental organizations.
The Great Americans Medal presentation is supported by David M. Rubenstein, chair of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents. The medal is made possible by Museum board member Jeff Garrett.
Mother Jones
In honor of Labor Day, we're sharing the stories of labor leaders. Mary Harris Jones, "Mother Jones," fought for the rights of child laborers. #BecauseOfHerStory
Innoskate 2019, London
What are you doing this weekend?
The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center team is in London for the seventh Innoskate—exploring skate culture’s creative spirit and history of innovation.
Here, Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham shows off his moves.
Innoskate is made possible with the generous support of Autodesk, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Embassy, London.