From Lead Belly to Kendrick Lamar, Black musicians have long used song to share stories of struggle and triumph.

Conversations in Context: Music (13:43)

Fannie Lou Hamer, a voting rights activist, suffered unspeakable violence and intimidation at the hands of white supremacists and police. Her response: to elevate her cause by launching a long-shot campaign for the U.S. Senate

Fannie Lou Hamer Risked Her Life for the Right to Vote (4:15)

The space suits used by the astronauts on Gemini 7, known as grasshopper suits, were designed for comfort. But after two weeks inside them, that was the last thing on the crew’s minds.

There's a Limit to the Comfort Level of NASA Space Suits (3:32)

It's a partnership that's as unlikely as any: herds of bison on the move are kicking up chunks of earth. This, in turn, gives cliff swallows the valuable mud pellets they need to build their nests.

How Bison Are Helping Cliff Swallows Build Their Nests (3:38)

The Black Death of 1348 was a devastating event, wiping out half the population of Britain. And in churches like this one, drawings on the wall provide a haunting visual record of the scale of the tragedy.

This Church Has an Eerie Visual Record of the Black Death (2:53)

What role does the media play in the fight for freedom and equality? And what role should it play? Join MTV News host Dometi Pongo and Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III as they discuss the Freedom Riders, citizen journalism, media representation and image-making as it relates to civil rights.

Conversations in Context: Media (10:01)

On July 28, 1917, about 10,000 Black men, women, and children marched silently down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in one of the very first civil rights protests. Learn how, through marching for freedom and fairness, African Americans have fought to create a better America for everyone.

Conversations in Context: Marches (10:09)

History was never meant to be permanent; our understanding of what really happened should evolve over time. Join MTV News host Dometi Pongo and Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III as they discuss how we remember the past, from slavery narratives to Confederate monuments, and what we're meant to learn from it.

Conversations in Context: Memory (12:27)

In 1942, the Japanese were bearing down on the Philippines, where General Douglas MacArthur was based. To help him escape, the Navy relied on a small but heavily armed class of ships: the PT boat.