Celebrate Black History Month

On January 15, 1929, a son was born to the Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr., in an upstairs bedroom of 501 Auburn Avenue, in Atlanta, GA. He would go on to become a prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth home and several surrounding buildings located in the Sweet Auburn historic district of Atlanta were established as a national historic site on October 10, 1980. Each building had significant meaning to Dr. King and are critical components in the interpretation of his life of legacy.

As founder of the National Council of Negro Women, Mary McLeod Bethune developed strategies and programs that advanced the interests of African American women and the Black community. A townhouse is Washington, D.C. served as the council's headquarters as well as Bethune's last home, and today is preserved as a historic site.

William Johnson became an icon as a free black man whose diary tells the story of everyday life in Natchez during the Industrial Revolution. His story is told along with two other sections of the site - For Rosalie and Melrose. Visitors can walk the grounds, visit historic outbuildings, and even birdwatch.

Learn about the music and musicians of New Orleans jazz in this newly established park created to preserve and educate others on the evolution of jazz. Enjoy ranger-led demonstrations, walks, video documentaries, and live music.

Discover the home, studios, and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens - one of America’s greatest sculptors. Over 100 of his artworks can be seen in the galleries, including the famous bronze sculpture commemorating the 54th Massachusetts regiment of Black Soldiers in the Civil War.

Tuskegee Normal School, later known as Tuskegee Institute, was established by the state of Alabama to educate newly freed people and their children. Today, the legacy of Booker T. Washington, George W. Carver, and others is preserved in the Historic Campus District of Tuskegee University where original buildings constructed by the students still stand.