February is Black History Month, and D.C. is home to museums, historic sites, arts, food, and so much more that all help tell this incredible story. Check out these three neighborhoods to learn about and experience African American culture and history.

Downtown 

National Museum of African American History and Culture photo courtesy of Ron Cogswell

In Downtown D.C., countless monuments, museums, and historic sites all along the National Mall showcase the long history of African Americans in our country.

One of the most recent additions to the Smithsonian network of museums is the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Spanning seven floors (four above ground, three below), this museum illustrates the history of black americans in the United States starting in 1400 up through recent times. As you wander through the museum, you’ll come across a memorial to Emmett Till, an exhibit on African music, a timeline of the Civil Rights Movement, and so much more. I’ve visited twice and still have yet to make it through the entire museum. 

While on the National Mall, you can stop by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, a towering 30-foot-high stone sculpture of Dr. King surrounded by an inscription wall engraved with his historic, inspiring words. If seeing the likeness of Dr. King isn’t quite enough for you, take a walk up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but keep your eyes on your feet: As you walk across the stone, you’ll be able to spot the stone where Dr. King stood and delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Shaw Area Neighborhoods 

Photo courtesy of Howard University

Between Shaw and Le Droit Park you’ll find a handful of landmarks that have been pivotal in black history in the District. Most notable among them is Howard University, a historically black college that was founded in 1867. According to the university's website, the school began as a single building and has evolved to an 89-acre campus which includes a 400-bed hospital. 

The Lincoln Theater in Shaw was built in 1922 and has welcomed an impressive lineup of African American talent over the years. According to the theater’s website, D.C. natives Duke Ellington and Pearl Bailey performed there, as well as nationally known artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holliday. If you feel hungry before or after a show, head next door to Ben’s Chili Bowl, an establisment so well-respected in its community that it is said to be one of only a few buildings left untouched after the 1968 riots, the Washingtonian reported.

Just west of Shaw you’ll find the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House in Logan Circle. This historic townhome was the center for the National Council of Negro Women. According to the National Parks Service, the group worked on programs and initiatives aimed at advancing African American women. 

Anacostia

Photo courtesy of The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site

Anacostia is home to an incredible landmark in African American history, as well as a community museum in the Smithsonian, which was built specifically for African American outreach. 

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site is right in the middle of Anacostia. According to the National Parks Service, Frederick Douglass, a man born into slavery who escaped to freedom, lived his last 17 years of life in this house, which was subsequently dubbed Cedar Hill.

The Anacostia Community Museum opened in 1967 as an outreach effort to support the local African American community. After the first exhibition of art and artifacts borrowed from other Smithsonian museums, “local residents and museum advisory board members expressed a desire to have a museum that was relevant to their experiences and history.”