For 10 years, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has given millions of people a place to see, learn, and connect with the African American experience.
Opening its doors on September 24, 2016, the Smithsonian museum was the result of a dream more than a century in the making. Since then, nearly 14 million people from 200 countries have visited the museum, while more than 26,000 school groups have walked through its galleries.
But NMAAHC is more than a museum filled with artifacts. It is a place where history becomes personal.
Behind every photograph, document, piece of clothing, artwork, or everyday object is a story about people - their struggles, their resilience, their creativity, their families, and their hopes for the future. Preserving these stories means making sure that generations to come can understand not only what happened in the past, but also how those experiences helped shape America.
A Celebration of History, Community, and Belonging
This September, NMAAHC will celebrate its 10th anniversary with “The Reunion,” a multi-day celebration taking place September 24–27, 2026. Guided by the theme “Welcome Home: Our Legacy Continues,” the celebration brings together visitors, supporters, community partners, and friends of the museum to reflect on the past decade and look toward the future.
The idea of “home” is especially meaningful. A home is where memories are kept, stories are shared, and generations learn from one another. For many visitors, NMAAHC can serve that same purpose - a place to encounter pieces of a history that may feel deeply personal, even when those stories happened generations ago.
The anniversary weekend will also include family activities, music, dance, art, food, and community gatherings, making the celebration about more than looking backward. It is about experiencing Black culture as something living, evolving, and continuing to shape the future.
From Freedom Seekers to Future Generations
One of the most powerful parts of the anniversary celebration connects the museum's present with a story from 1848.
At The Wharf, where part of the celebration will take place, 77 enslaved people boarded the schooner Pearl in an attempt to escape slavery and pursue freedom. Their story represents courage, hope, and the determination to imagine a different future.
More than 175 years later, their story is still being remembered.
That is the power of preserving history. A story does not end when the people who lived it are gone. When it is remembered, taught, shared, and passed down, it becomes part of the foundation for another generation.
The Stories Are Still Growing
Black history is not only a collection of dates and famous names. It lives in family photographs, traditions, music, art, faith, education, community, and everyday moments. It can be found in the stories grandparents tell their grandchildren and in the traditions families continue to carry forward.
That is why preserving Black history matters.
The past tells us where we came from. Culture reminds us who we are. And the stories we choose to preserve help shape what future generations believe is possible.
As NMAAHC celebrates 10 years, its message is ultimately bigger than an anniversary: Black history is living history, and the story is still being written.
At Empower Black Voice, we believe those stories deserve to be seen, celebrated, and carried forward - through the memories we preserve, the culture we honor, and the symbols we keep close to home.
Because preserving the past is also a way of empowering the future. 🖤