Event

A Seat at the Table

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Lectures & Discussions
tickets.si.edu…

A Seat at the Table is a signature social justice program hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) where participants consider challenging questions about race, identity, and economic justice over a shared meal. An expert panel will discuss a specific topic of concern, providing food for thought while the audience enjoys a menu inspired by the location and themes raised in the discussion. After the conversation, diners turn to each other to engage in an interactive activity designed to continue shared reflection on the evening's topic. Through this program, participants can make new connections, exchange resources, and develop new perspectives. Most importantly, participants conclude the evening prepared to apply insights gained from having "a seat at the table" to their own lives.

In this May 2026 edition, our discussants are public historians whose work centers Black lives in the neighborhoods where we live, work and grow our families, where we struggle, survive and can sometimes thrive, alongside the institutions that we build and amidst obstacles placed by a society that seeks to control and limit possibilities. They will help us to see how preserving and interpreting that history helps us reach for the best possible quality of life in the present.

This event will be held offsite at The Barrel Factory, 65 Vandalia St, Buffalo, NY 14204.

Discussants

  • Henry-Louis Taylor Jr., Director, Center for Urban Studies, and Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture and Planning, University of Buffalo
  • Terry Alford, Executive Director, Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission
  • Lillie Wiley-Upshaw, Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission Board Member and Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition Chair
  • Sharon Holley, Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission Board Member and Nash House Museum Board of Directors President

Moderator: Doretha Williams, Program Manager, Robert F. Smith Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History, SI-NMAAHC