Black History Month

Black History Month

Miller Center events and exhibits to explore the African American experience

Featured Video

The evolution of affirmative action—and its uncertain future

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision overturning affirmative action in college admissions, this program examines the evolution and legacy of race-conscious college admission programs across the United States. A diverse panel of scholars discusses the significant impact of the historic policy on higher education as well as the uncertain future of racial diversity in college admissions.

Left

‘I did not get off the car’

In 1854, 100 years before Rosa Parks, a Black woman championed the end to segregated public transportation in New York City. A future president helped her.

Read the story

Past events

Shining a light
Shining a light on the era of integration

January 19, 2023: Sharing their personal stories, journalist Jill Lawrence and psychologist Pamela Gipson Banks discuss the recent culture wars over how race is taught in public schools. 
Tulsa monument
Breaking silences: Lessons from Tulsa and Charlottesville

In May 2021, Joe Biden became the first president to officially commemorate the Tulsa Race Massacre, which happened exactly 100 years prior, when white mobs destroyed the all-Black Greenwood district.
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of freedom

January 24, 2020: David Blight discusses his Pulitzer Prize–winning book, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, a “breathtaking history that demonstrates the scope of Frederick Douglass’ influence”
Eric Holder as attorney general
American cauldron

February 15, 2017: As part of the Miller Center's First Year Project, a panel of high-profile experts gather at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library to discuss one of the nation's most challenging issues

Featured Video

Race and the crisis of justice

In this 2017 documentary, the Miller Center looks at race, policing, and the criminal justice system through the lens of the presidency. Beginning with the 1964 shooting of an unarmed African American teenager in Philadelphia, the 12-minute film traces the decades-long history of federal policing and crime control policies across presidencies, and examines how "law-and-order" rhetoric has been used to justify violence against African Americans.