National Museum of African American History and Culture To Open Exhibition Featuring Collections From Five HBCUs

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will open a new traveling exhibition titled “At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs” on January 16, 2026. The show features artifacts, artwork, historical documents, and multimedia from five historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs): Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, Texas Southern University, and Tuskegee University. Highlights include first editions of Margaret Walker’s works, Tuskegee Institute pottery, early scientific journals, archival photographs by Doris Derby and Chester Higgins, and a rare color video of George Washington Carver.