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Author and scholar Carter G. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915. The son of former slaves, Woodson created the first Negro History Week in 1926 to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Fifty years later, the association designated the first Black History Month.

In honor of this year's celebration, explore the story behind the first black opera in Washington, DC. and discover a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery featuring 100 photographs of African-American activists, artists, scientists, authors, musicians and athletes. Tune into Freedom Songs Radio, and learn about Black History Month celebrations at the Smithsonian and the around the country.

Lifting their Voices

Discover the story behind the first black opera company in Washington, DC

Portraits of Black Resistance

The inaugural show of the National Museum of African American History and Culture focuses on people who battled injustice, whether from the boxing ring, the bandstand or Congress

Celebrating Resistance

The curator of a portrait exhibition discusses how African Americans used photography to resist stereotypes

Around the Country

Learn about Black History Month celebrations in your state

At the Smithsonian

Learn about Black History Month celebrations at the Smithsonian Institution

Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits

Now—March 2, 2008
National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery presents the inaugural exhibition of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. One hundred photographs illustrate 150 years of African American resistance to race and class stereotypes.

Dance from Africa

Saturday, February 16 at 2 PM
National Museum of African Art
Experience the lively rhythms of young people from Dance Place as they perform African-inspired stepping, dance and drumming.

Explore More Smithsonian Coverage of Black History Heritage

• Family Ties
  African Americans use scientific advances to trace their roots

• Dream Assignment
  Discover the story behind the famous picture that captured one of the greatest speeches in American history

• Fabric of Their Lives
  There's a new exhibition of works by the quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama, whose lives have been transformed by worldwide acclaim for their artistry

• Black Woodstock
  Harlem 1969: Jesse Jackson, Nina Simone, B.B. King and 100,000 spectators gather for a concert worth remembering