Celebrating Black and African American Heritage

A landscape painting featuring a group of large trees over an open field of dry grass.

Honor the experiences and contributions of Black and African American people, including the celebrated artists and influential authors in The Huntington’s collections. Discover important artworks on view, learn about the research taking place throughout the institution, and explore the vast archive of stories and programming.

Black History Month is observed every February to honor the history, accomplishments, and contributions of African Americans. The celebration began as Negro History Week in 1926, established by American historian, author, and journalist Carter G. Woodson. He chose February because it is the birth month of both President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. In 1976, the event was expanded from a week to a monthlong celebration.

On View: Historic Artworks

Unidentified enslaved African American potter, Face jug, ca. 1862–65, alkaline-glazed stoneware. Thomas J. Davies Palmetto Pottery and Fire Brick Co., Bath, Edgefield District, South Carolina. Collection of Kenneth Fechtner. Photo by Linnea Stephan. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

The works of enslaved and freed African American potters in the Edgefield District of South Carolina serve as both personal records of the brutality of slavery and creative acts of resistance.

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On View: Historic Artworks

Edward Mitchell Bannister, Untitled (Walking Through a Field) [detail], ca. 1870s, oil on canvas, 22 x 42 1/4 in. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

In 1876, Edward Mitchell Bannister became the first African American artist to win a national award. The Huntington’s Lauren Cross writes about what motivated him, whom he credited for his success, and how he shifted from being a portraitist to a landscape artist.

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Current Exhibition

Betye Saar: Drifting Toward Twilight

Through Nov. 30, 2027 | Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art

Renowned American artist Betye Saar’s large-scale work Drifting Toward Twilight is a site-specific installation that features a 17-foot-long vintage wooden canoe and found objects, including birdcages, antlers, and natural materials harvested by Saar from The Huntington’s grounds.