How Scientific Taxonomy Constructed the Myth of Race

Botanist Carl Linnaeus’ classification system has been adopted around the globe—but have we adequately reckoned with how his ideas about humans laid the groundwork for scientific racism?

Preserving the Voices of the Antioch Colony

Archaeologists are working with descendants to preserve the history of a community in Texas formed by Black freedmen and women after the Civil War.

Stop Destroying African American Cemeteries

Highways, factories, and other development projects across the United States are threatening the sacred spaces of African American cemeteries. An archaeologist looks to new Congressional action to stop the destruction.

How Imperialism Gave Us 2020

News headlines suggest that the problems of 2020 were unprecedented, but the collision of a pandemic and racial violence is nothing new under imperialism.

Unsettling the Past: Radically Reimagining Archaeological Knowledge

This webinar explores how Black and Indigenous knowledge systems can reshape how archaeology is practiced.

Tackling Care and Capitalism in College Football

This year’s college football season—which has continued in the U.S. despite serious risks to players—has put deep social inequalities in stark relief.

Moments of Resilience Amid a Pandemic

SAPIENS podcast host Chip Colwell discusses resilience among African American communities with Melanie Adams, of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum.

The Cookout (and All Other Manners of Heavenly Black Things)

An anthropologist’s poem crafts a dream of freedom, peace, and joyous celebration for Black folks who have died as a result of anti-Black and anti-queer violence.

Black and Indigenous Storytelling as Counter-History

This webinar panel explores how for BIPOC heritage professionals and community members, storytelling taps into historically marginalized ways of knowing.

The Casual Menace of a Trump Rally

As the U.S. closes in on Election Day 2020, an anthropologist remembers the chilling mix of cruelty and cheer he witnessed at a Trump victory rally after the 2016 election.