by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) opened a new exhibition highlighting the history, culture and archival preservation of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
The exhibit, titled “At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs,” features collections from five universities: Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, Texas Southern University and Tuskegee University, and opened to the public on Jan. 16th.
NMAAHC curators, Joanne Hyppolite, assistant director of culture, Tulani Salahu-Din, curator of language and literature and Jeanelle Hope, caterpillar curator of innovation & entrepreneurship, brought the exhibit to life and came together to describe the intentionality behind the display. They said it was created to showcase the Smithsonian’s expertise in collections stewardship.
As a product of two HBCUs—Coppin State University and Howard University —Salahu-Din said her experiences helped guide the artwork’s curation for two of the featured universities.
“As an international studies minor at Coppin, I studied in North Africa during the entire summer of 1980 and took courses in comparative cultures and African history…This knowledge helped guide my selection of artwork from the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum and the University Museum at Texas Southern University,” Salahu-Din said.
Taking roughly four years to create the exhibit, the curators spoke about the process and inspiration behind the display as they worked with the five selected universities. In hopes of underscoring the historical and present-day role of HBCUs, they titled the exhibit ‘At The Vanguard’ to outline how HBCUs were pioneers in collecting and displaying the material culture of African Americans and people of African descent.
Through reading archival papers, examining artworks and surveying objects, their exploration of these materials revealed themes of academic growth and change, vibrant visual arts and student activism and innovation.
After the 2003 Congressional legislation mandated that the federally funded institution provide various forms of support to HBCUs, the exhibition was developed in collaboration with the HBCU History and Culture Access Consortium, a five-year project launched in March of 2021 that works to strengthen HBCU archives and their roles in American history.
Sean Newby-Lowery, a member of the museum’s ticketing team, said the featured universities weren’t chosen out of partiality.
“They were a part of a collection. This museum… and those five HBCUs had an agreement regarding their inventory. The select universities helped to build the exhibition,” Newby-Lowery said.
The display incorporates bold colors, soulful music and abstract artwork. Visual elements of historically Black Greek letter organizations were displayed on the walls, alongside unique designs, and a sea of colorful HBCU banners hung from the ceiling toward the exit.
The collection features over 100 objects from the partnering HBCUs’ archives. Along with curated artifacts, albums and more, these depictions explore themes of the preservation of student activism, black scholarship and the sustaining of the arts. Murals, soundscapes, videos and more help showcase the cultural vibrancy and rigor of HBCUs.
Kuwilileni Hauwanga, a creative and photographer, visited the exhibit as a museum lover and for work purposes. Her mother, who is from Jamaica, attended Tuskegee University, one of the featured schools. Hauwanga said that being immersed in the exhibit gave her a sense of relief and inspiration, and she believes in the importance of Black educational spaces.
“We’re in a time where a lot of our history is being purposefully eroded and obfuscated. It’s really good to come here and say, ‘there are so many ways to be Black,’” Hauwanga said.
Visitors said the exhibit also served educational purposes. Nikkia Hester, who planned a birthday trip to D.C. to visit the exhibit, said the experience offered information she hadn’t previously encountered.
“I think it’s educational. Some people say they came and cried. I haven’t felt that emotion behind it, but I do feel like I have learned things that I did not know before,” Hester said.
Though she attended a predominantly white institution (PWI), Hope mentioned the HBCU culture that she experienced through familial connections and working at an HBCU influenced her curation.
“I attended PWIs throughout my academic study. However, my family has deep HBCU roots…As a former HBCU faculty member, I would often take my students to our campus special collections/archives for a primary source assignment, but also to showcase the rich history of our campus,” Hope said.
Hope’s experiences, skill sets and scholarly expertise converged in the curation of the exhibit. She feels she succeeded in helping both recognize and honor the labor of HBCU archivists and hopes that other educators can do the same with their own students.
“Sometimes I wish I was back in the classroom because I would love to draw upon this exhibition (and our digital materials) for curriculum development…I hope faculty and K-12 teachers are able to bring aspects of the exhibition into the classroom…” Hope said.
Hyppolite also attended a PWI and elaborated on the idea of HBCU culture and roots that can surround and prosper through familial connections, expressing how one is never more than one degree of separation from someone who is associated with an HBCU.
“…my son is a Howard University sophomore in COFA, my brother graduated from Tuskegee University and my sister attended Norfolk State University…you’re never more than one degree of separation from someone…who works at, attended or currently attends an HBCU,” Hyppolite said.
The NMAAHC curators seek to inspire, communicate and mirror the rich and dynamic history that surrounds HBCUs.
“I want the exhibition to inspire visitors to think more critically and broadly about HBCUs—their rich and dynamic history, their essential value to the higher education system and to African American communities, their enduring strengths and their incredible challenges.” Salahu-Din said.
Salahu-Din seeks to dispel myths regarding the quality of HBCU education versus that of a PWI.
“At the Vanguard” will be closing in D.C. on July 19, 2026. The exhibition is scheduled to tour nationally through 2029, with the next confirmed stop in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum from Sept. 19, 2026, to Dec. 13, 2026. The exhibit is planned to tour up to five different locations before coming to a close in 2029.
“Each of us is a keeper of time, and I think that this space is an archive of all the incredible strides that Black folks have made in the United States as far as education is concerned. It also fills in that piece of nostalgia and pride,” Hauwanga said.