The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center to Host Smithsonian’s Making History, Making Change Lecture

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center to Host Smithsonian’s Making History, Making Change Lecture


Guest Speaker, Dr. LaCharles Ward, Will Speak on Black Life in Film and Photography


 The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center (The DuSable Museum) will host Dr. LaCharles Ward, Curator of Photography and Film at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, for a special lecture titled “Celebrating the Richness of Black Life Through Film and Photography” on Thursday, April 9, at 11:30 a.m.

As the Director of the Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts, Dr. Ward oversees one of the most important research centers for African American image making, specializing in film preservation, the study of visual culture related to Black life, and the landmark Johnson Publishing Company Archives in partnership with the Getty. Dr. Ward and his team at the National Museum of African American History and Culture are actively cataloging and preserving this critical repository of images documenting 20th-century African American life.

Hosted by The DuSable Museum in collaboration with the Smithsonian, the program will explore the transformative role of photography and cinema in capturing the full spectrum of Black life and culture. Attendees will learn about recent discoveries from the Johnson Publishing Company Archives project and gain insight into why preserving this history is essential for Chicago communities and the nation. Registration information is available here.


The DuSable Museum is one of 25 Smithsonian Affiliate organizations nationwide to host the Smithsonian’s Making History, Making Change Lecture Series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. From January to July, Smithsonian experts—curators, scientists, educators, and historians—will visit communities across the country to share stories that reflect the richness and complexity of the American experience. Each lecture will explore how people, moments, and ideals have shaped our history and continue to drive change.


The Making History, Making Change Lecture Series is organized by Smithsonian Affiliations as part of the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250. It is supported in part by the Dreier Family, Johanna and Ken Kim Family, Vaishali Shah Chadha and Family, and Michael Vu & Meridel Bulle-Vu.

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