The daily, digital conversation will amplify the museum’s Black History Month programming and will share century-old stories, dynamic photographs and items in its collection and family history resources. Woodson-known as the Father of Black History Month. NMAAHC’s social media platforms will explore The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity, the theme for 2021 selected by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization created in 1915 by Carter G. Uplifting the Black Family: NMAAHC Black History Month Social Media Campaign Other programs include the third installment of the museum’s popular education series, “Artists at Home,” for students grades six to 12 a new children’s program series based on the museum’s newest Joyful ABC’s activity book series and a discussion about race and medicine with educators from the museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The February session will cover race, justice and mass incarceration in the United States. The museum’s Black History Month celebration also features the digital return of one of its signature programs, 'A Seat at the Table,' an interactive program for participants to consider challenging questions about race, identity and economic justice over a meal. They will be joined by several contributors to the book, including Herb Boyd, City University of New York Kali Nicole Gross, Emory University Peniel Joseph, University of Texas and Annette Gordon Reed, Harvard University. In this discussion moderated by Mary Elliott, the museum’s curator of American slavery, Kendi and Blain will focus on slavery, reconstruction and segregation and their continuing impact on the United States.

Blain on their newly released book Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619–2019, a 10-part book spanning 400 years of African American history. The month kicks off February 2 with a book discussion with authors and scholars Ibram X. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is offering a wide range of digital programs for all ages this February. Smithsonian will celebrate Black History Month this year with a twist-virtual programming.

Four hundred souls review