A Love Letter to the Black Woman

Dear Black Woman,

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture sends warm greetings and deepest love to you and the women ancestors who have walked among us as nurturers, guides, community builders, and sages.

You are like a tree with deep roots and long, sheltering branches.

Throughout history, you have given birth, kept families intact, built businesses, and battled tremendous odds to Make a Way Out of No Way.  

And you continue to do the same today.

We see you. We hear you. We celebrate you.

Join us as we celebrate the multifaceted brilliance of Black women, honoring their resilience and immeasurable contributions to the nation and the world.

Through the centuries, the Black woman has walked a long, treacherous road with strength, intelligence, grace, and unmatched courage. It’s not enough to say you paved the way; in many ways you were the way.

You have inspired other Black women to fight and win the good and noble fight. Because of you, the Black woman has played major roles in creating the nation, the economy, and the culture we know and work to protect today.

The artists among you taught us the power of Reckoning with the world through painting and sculpture, using visual art as tools of Protest. Defiance. Resilience.

You showed us the power of Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom, working under life-threating conditions after the Civil War to see that African Americans would have full citizenship rights after more than 250 years of enslavement.

You were at the vanguard of creating A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, in the 21st century Civil Rights movement.

You guided us, with compassion and skill, helping us heal from generations of pain delivered to people of color In Slavery’s Wake.  

NMAAHC explores the depths of who the Black woman is—celebrating your roles as educator, nurturer, organizer, and more.

The museum also recognizes the critical need for your rest, acknowledging that your tireless efforts make you deserving of “time to reclaim your time” through peace and rejuvenation.