Quote from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III. Once again, we bear witness to our country's troubled history of racial violence. History demonstrates that we can become a better society but only if we collectively demand it from each other and our institutions.

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Black and white portrait of Willi Smith, a young African American man wearing spectacles, a white t-shirt, and blue jeans. He poses in a studio background composed of draped white sheets. Also in the background is a cheetah-print flag. By his feet is curled a length of zebra print fabric

Willi Smith Community Archive

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Line drawing of Carnegie Mansion. The entrance to this handsome historic home is draped with the rainbow Pride flag.

Digital Mansion

As seen from above, a person arranges colorful post it notes in a row. Next to this person's hands are more craft supplies including a pair of scissors and colorful sheets of paper

Virtual Events

In a designer studio, a designer gestures to an illuminated ceramic sculpturing hanging from the ceiling. Young members look on with interest and amazement.

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In the Cooper Hewitt galleries, a trio of mannequins sport avant-garde modestwear

Exhibitions

A hand drawn illustration of people of many skin tones and gender expressions

A Message to Our Community

Resources to inspire empathy, understanding, and dialogue.

On top of a crumbling gray brick wall is a copy of the exhibition catalog Willi Smith: Street Couture. On the cover of this book, three models primp and pose in their WilliWear. The model on the right has rich-medium skin and wears an oversized headbow and loosefitting pink dress. The model in the center has olive skin tone and wears a flowing white caftan and a black turban. The model on the right, a male who is slightly out of the frame of the photo, wears a white t-shirt decorated with black handprints and shorts printed with a black and white pattern. He rests his hands behind his head, is wearing sunglasses, and is smiling broadly. They are standing in front of an orange curtain.

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