by Kandiss Edwards
March 6, 2026
Five participating HBCUs have contributed to the exhibit: Jackson State University, Florida A&M University, Tuskegee University, Clark Atlanta University and Texas Southern University.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture has opened an exhibition that explores the cultural and historical influence of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through artifacts preserved by HBCU archives and museums.
The exhibition, “At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs,” opened Jan. 16 at the museum on the National Mall and will run through July 19. “At the Vanguard” was developed through the museum’s History and Culture Access Consortium.
Five participating universities have contributed to the exhibit: Jackson State University, Florida A&M University, Tuskegee University, Clark Atlanta University, and Texas Southern University. Together, the HBCUs lent more than 100 artifacts and archival materials that document the academic, artistic, and political contributions of HBCU communities across generations.
According to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the project emphasizes the work of HBCU archivists and historians who had the foresight to safeguard materials that might otherwise have been lost to history.
Curators Joanne Hyppolite, Tulani Salahu-Din, and Jeanelle Hope have taken up the mantle of telling HBCU stories as the institutions themselves have long preserved Black historical materials and narratives. By bringing artifacts from multiple HBCU collections together in one exhibition, organizers aim to illustrate the central role those schools have played in documenting African American intellectual and cultural life.
Items associated with Florida A&M University’s “Marching 100” band appear alongside photographs and archival recordings that document the cultural impact of HBCU band culture in American music and collegiate marching traditions.
After its run in Washington, organizers plan for the exhibition to travel to partner institutions and additional venues, extending access to materials that reflect the enduring educational and cultural impact of HBCUs.
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