HBCU and Rosenwald School Exhibitions Spotlight Black Education and History
In Washington, D.C., two notable exhibitions are highlighting the vital role of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Rosenwald Schools in African American heritage. The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture presents "At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs," featuring over 100 artifacts, including rare editions of Margaret Walker’s "Jubilee" and a film on George Washington Carver. This exhibit is part of a project initiated in 2021, planned to visit various campuses. Meanwhile, the National Building Museum's "A Better Life for Their Children," dedicated to Rosenwald Schools (1912-1932), is open until January 2027.
Key facts
- "At the Vanguard" exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture features over 100 objects from five HBCU museums and archives.
- The HBCU History and Culture Access Consortium was launched in 2021 and includes Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, Texas Southern University, and Tuskegee University.
- Exhibition includes Margaret Walker's typewriter, Tuskegee pottery, early scientific journals, and a color video of George Washington Carver.
- "A Better Life for Their Children" at the National Building Museum runs through January 2027 and features photographs by Andrew Feiler and models by Mark Wittig.
- The Rosenwald Schools program built 5,357 schools, teacher homes, and shop buildings between 1912 and 1932.
- Senator Dick Durbin reintroduced the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Act on February 25, 2026.
- Only about 600 of the original Rosenwald Schools survive today.
- "The Tuskegee Chapel" exhibition highlights the rebuilding of the chapel after a 1957 fire, using 1.2 million bricks made by students.
Entities
Artists
- Margaret Walker
- George Washington Carver
- Andrew Feiler
- Mark Wittig
- Paul Rudolph
- Louis Fry, Sr.
- Col. John Welch
- Ezra Stoller
- Chester Higgins
- Myles Sampson
- Major L. Holland
- Robert R. Taylor
- Booker T. Washington
- Julius Rosenwald
- Dick Durbin
- Dorothy Canter
- John Lewis
- Maya Angelou
- Medgar Evers
- Eugene Robinson
Institutions
- Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Building Museum
- Clark Atlanta University
- Florida A&M University
- Jackson State University
- Texas Southern University
- Tuskegee University
- HBCU History and Culture Access Consortium
- Sears, Roebuck and Co.
- Tuskegee Institute
- Rosenwald Park Campaign
- U.S. Senate
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- United States
- Georgia
- Florida
- Mississippi
- Texas
- Alabama
- Tuskegee, Alabama
- Chicago, Illinois
- Wicomico County, Maryland
- Saint George, South Carolina
- Gloucester County, Virginia