Last August, President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to some museums for not displaying exhibits that are “not about our success, not about our brilliance, not about our future.” For the president of the United States, the Smithsonian, which houses some of the nation’s greatest museums in Washington, is “out of control, and the only discussion there is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery is, and how we have failed the oppressed.”
“One of their goals was ‘In Slavery’s Wake,’ an exhibition that explores the lasting effects of slavery and the ways black communities around the world fought for freedom, resilience, and self-determination.
Well then. This international exhibition will start touring in several countries. The work, titled “Beyond Slavery: Building Black Freedom Around the World,” will be on view at the National History Museum near Plaza 15 from Thursday, November 13th until March 1st, 2026. Through rare artifacts, global collaborations, and immersive artistic installations, Beyond Slavery aims to encourage visitors to appreciate history while celebrating the strength and creativity of those who shaped it.
The exhibition and related activities in Brazil are the result of a partnership between the Center for the Study of Global Slavery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University, the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, MHN, the National Archives, and the Pasados ​​Presentes Project.
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