Beyond Black History Month

February 24, 2026

The Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts (CAAMA) is the Museum’s home of visual culture and innovation at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C.

Many museums and cultural centers focused on African American history operate year-round and provide deep, ongoing exploration of Black heritage.

Here are notable institutions your group can visit anytime; nearly all offer private event space:

National Museum of African American History and Culture Washington, D.C.

This is the nation’s premier museum dedicated exclusively to African American life, history and culture. Located on the National Mall, this Smithsonian venue explores the African American experience from slavery and segregation through the civil rights movement to contemporary culture, with interactive exhibits, historical artifacts, art, music and personal stories.

International African American Museum
Charleston, SC

This museum focuses on the broad arc of African American history, especially the trans-Atlantic slave trade and its enduring effects. Through exhibits and educational programs, it sheds light on the African origins, resilience, and cultural contributions of African Americans throughout U.S. history.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Detroit

One of the largest and longest-standing independent African American history museums in the world, the Wright holds more than 35,000 artifacts covering history, culture and art, with exhibits on the Underground Railroad, civil rights leaders and Detroit’s own Black heritage. Read the museum’s tribute to the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away on Feb. 17, 2026.

DuSable Museum of African American History
Chicago

Founded as one of the first museums in the U.S. devoted to African American history, DuSable has a rich collection including artifacts, photographs, documents and works of art tracing the Black experience from slavery through the 20th century. It also preserves the legacy of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Chicago’s first non-Native settler of African ancestry.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham

This museum and educational center interprets the history of the civil rights movement, especially Birmingham’s pivotal role in the 1950s and 60s. Exhibits use multimedia to depict segregation, the Freedom Riders, marches, sit-ins, and pivotal local campaigns — emphasizing both struggle and progress.

National Civil Rights Museum
Memphis

Located at the site of the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, this powerful museum chronicles the entire civil rights movement — from slavery to Reconstruction to the major struggles of the 1950s and ’60s. Artifacts, films, and interactive media tell the story of resistance, courage, and the ongoing fight for justice.