Skip to Content
NMAAHC Building

Welcome to the Searchable Museum

A place to explorehistory and culturethrough anAfrican American lens

John Saunders Chase Jr. 

John Saunders Chase Jr. (born on January 23, 1925) was the first licensed Black architect in Texas.

Discover His Story
Architect John Chase wearing a three-piece suit and glasses, holding a rolled-up newspaper while leaning against a chair. The background includes brick walls with framed items and lighting fixtures, suggesting a formal or office setting.

At the Vanguard

Learn how Historically Black Colleges and Universities have preserved African American cultural heritage, activism, education, and academic achievement.

Explore the Vanguard
Black-and-white photo of people viewing art in a gallery setting, with various framed artworks displayed on the walls.

In Slavery’s Wake

Learn how Black people resisted enslavement, claimed their humanity, and created freedom around the world. Learn how slavery and colonialism shape society today.

Explore the Wake
A black-and-white photo of three women in white dresses standing in ocean waves during a memorial ritual.

Explore

Constellations

Artifacts and topics illuminating connections to history

Start Exploring
The Olivetti Studio 46 Typewriter has a teal blue body and white keys, except for one red key on the right..
A head to chest view of the Black Panther suit. Fully covering the face, the suit is a sleek and cat like.
A sliver space vehicle with multiple legs and colored lights, replicating the originally Mothership.
Painting of a person with red ginkgo leaves over their eyes and around them, against a textured background.
The pendant that was given for the Prairie View A&M College Industrial Education Award.

Discover

Stories

Shining a new light on the African American past and its people.

Explore Stories
A child rides past debris in New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina devastated many communities in New Orleans. Learn about the storm’s impact and New Orleanians’ determination to rebuild their communities.

Students working together in a lab.

George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver was a scientist, inventor, and artist. Learn how his research at Tuskegee University improved the lives of Black farmers.

Black-and-white historical photograph of two women standing side by side, dressed in formal late 19th or early 20th-century attire.

Monroe and Florence Work

Monroe and Florence Work were sociologists who studied African American life. Learn how their research revealed truths about the Black experience.

Black and white photo of a book signing event, with a seated individual (Margaret Walker) signing books at a table surrounded by people holding or observing copies of the same book.

Margaret Walker

Margaret Walker was a writer and teacher at Jackson State University. Learn about her career as a novelist, poet, and educator.

Printed cartoon showing the assignation of Octavius Catto in Philadelphia in 1871.

Octavius V. Catto

Octavius Catto was a civil rights activist in Pennsylvania. Learn about his life and impact in Philadelphia’s Black community during Reconstruction.

A photograph of an African American woman washing laundry outdoors in a yard. Clothes hand behind her on a line.

Atlanta Washerwomen Strike

In 1881, washerwomen in Atlanta formed a union and went on strike to demand better wages. Learn about the harsh conditions they faced and how they won.

Black and white photgraph of 6 Black children standing in a line with hands by theri side. There are 2 boys and 4 girls pictured. The children are dressed up for school and look directly at the camera

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

The Brown v. Board decision overturned segregation in public schools. Learn how the Legal Defense Fund built lawsuits to challenge segregation in the courts.

Understand

How We Know What We Know

Methods, tools, and sources used to study African American history and culture

Learn More
Composite Image of items featured in How We Know What We Know

Visit the Museum

Photograph of museum exterior
Plan Your Visit
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture's Searchable Museum is made possible through the generous support of:
Bloomberg Philanthropies