Join us this July for powerful programs, cultural workshops & family fun! . July 17: Heritage, Design & Culture in the Black Home . July 19: Story Time – Grandma’s Records . 🔗 Discover more and register: #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory

#OnThisDay in 1961, Barack Obama was born. After serving as a senator for Illinois, he was elected 44th President of the United States and served from 2009 to 2017. #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory

#OnThisDay in 1924, James Baldwin was born in Harlem, NY. He'd later become one of America's greatest literary voices, interrogating themes of racial and sexual oppression in America. Baldwin is regarded as one of the foremost writers and public intellectuals of the 20th century.

Today, Oak Bluffs welcomes an estimated 100,000+ tourists during the summer months eager to capture the sweetness and simplicity enjoyed by generations past.

By the 19th century, many established businesses and settled in the area, helping shape its cultural and economic life. Over time, Oak Bluffs became a beloved retreat—celebrated for its scenic beauty, welcoming spirit, and rich tradition of Black leisure and community.

Located on the northeastern shore of Martha’s Vineyard, Oak Bluffs has deep roots in African American history. Beginning in the 18th century, Black laborers arrived, working maritime trades, and in households and farms.

#OnThisDay, Emmett Louis Till would have turned 84 years old. In 1955, he was 14 when he was kidnapped and killed for “inappropriately interacting with a white woman” in Mississippi. Discover how Emmett Till's death inspired a movement: #ANationsStory

Malcolm-Jamal Warner felt like family to everyone who watched him capture and portray the vibrant aspects of Black life and community. His dedication to sharing authentic Black culture with the world helped solidify its place in American popular culture.

In 2015, Warner won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his spoken-word collaboration with the Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway on "Jesus Children." In the song, Warner memorialized the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Today, we remember Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who rose to fame as Theodore Huxtable on The Cosby Show. During his four-decade career, Warner skillfully explored the rich tapestry of Black experiences, advocating for genuine representations of Black individuals and communities.

#OTD in 1896, Mary Church Terrell and fellow activists Frances E.W. Harper, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin founded the National Association of Colored Women. They worked to address social issues such as lynching and suffrage.

#OTD in 1862, journalist & civil rights activist Ida B. Wells was born in Holly Springs, MS. Wells spent her life exposing the evils of lynching and organizing for racial justice causes. #ANationsStory #APeoplesJourney

One of the nation's most prolific African American organizers, Nannie Helen Burroughs, became a strident educator, church leader, and suffrage supporter. She devoted her life to the empowerment of Black women by promoting self-reliance, education, and spirituality.

Organizing was second-nature to Lillian K. Beverly, the first woman elected mayor of North Brentwood, Maryland, a D.C. suburb. Beverly's commitment to developing neighborhood integrity and self-reliance included food and clothing outreach and founding a community fire department.

African American female organizer Ophelia Settle Egypt used the tools of her career as a social worker to improve the lives of people and communities. Egypt helped integrate new residents into the historic Garfield Heights community of D.C. and inspire their civic participation.

🎶 Make music with NMAAHC Kids! Join a fun program exploring how music tells stories through Grandma’s Records, instruments, and record players, and then make your own album cover art. Designed for ages 4–8. Free with registration:

Black women, like Patricia Roberts Harris, have always served a critical role in America. Roberts broke down barriers of social inequity as the first African American woman to serve as a US ambassador and later the first African American woman to serve as a Cabinet Secretary.

Join Dr. Michelle Joan Wilkerson in conversation with artists & designers Robert Earl Paige, Renée Stout, @jomotariku, and Hadiya Williams on heritage, design & belonging. 📚 Signed publications available. 🔗Register:

#OnThisDay in 1875, Mary McLeod Bethune was born in Mayesville, South Carolina. Bethune dedicated her life to uplifting Black girls by establishing institutions including The Dayton Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, and The National Council of Negro Women.

As early organizers, women like Mary McLeod Bethune established networks of social uplift to sustain African American communities. Bethune created the NCNW as “the central Wheel” that would unite and channel the activities of women’s organizations across the country.

This month, we’re paying homage to the amazing women whose efforts as organizers cultivated community trust, fostered family support, and established networks of resistance. More: