Working at an African American Museum offers a unique opportunity to become part of a groundbreaking team. These institutions provide dynamic learning environments and access to supportive mentors, helping individuals reach their educational and professional goals.
Opportunities at the African American Museum in Philadelphia
The African American Museum in Philadelphia is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity. The museum does not engage in or tolerate unlawful discrimination because of a person's age, sex, genetic information, pregnancy, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship, disability, handicap, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran's status, military status, or membership in any other protected group.
The museum accepts applications from candidates at all levels of education and experience.
How to Apply
To apply for a position at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, please use the online application link provided with each job posting.
Internship Opportunities at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)
Internships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture offer undergraduate and graduate students, recent graduates, and career changers opportunities to work closely with professionals and scholars in the museum field. Internships are available as full-time (30-40 hours per week) or part-time (20 hours or less) positions from 10 to 13 weeks throughout the year, with the possibility for an extension.
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Applicants will need to submit a complete application through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment (SOLAA) system. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
One former intern described their experience at NMAAHC as life-changing and rated the internship program a 9/10, noting: “It is an experience I would have again many more times. It was rich, I learned a lot, and it was fun. It helped me exploit my skills and learn so many more that I can now apply in my professional life.”
Specific Internship Opportunities
Here are some specific internship opportunities available at NMAAHC:
1. Language and Literature Internship
The Language and Literature Internship provides the opportunity for the selected applicant to learn about curatorial department operations and curatorial practices. These operations and practices include curatorial team dynamics and collaborative work with IT, Education, Public Relations, Advancement, Collections Management, Conservation, and Digitization.
The intern will also learn about:
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- The role and value of collections in documenting history.
- Curatorial strategies for collecting objects and archival materials.
- Historical research methods associated with objects and topics.
The bulk of this work will relate to projects in language and literature. Applicants may be a junior or senior undergraduate student, a first- or second-year graduate student, or recent alumni interested in public history and/or writers of African descent and their literary history.
2. Black Jewelry Research Initiative Internship
This internship offers an opportunity to explore the legacy and artistry of Black jewelers, past and present. Interns will contribute to the NMAAHC’s efforts to document and share the stories of Black jewelers represented in the museum’s collection and beyond. Through research, transcription, and digital storytelling, interns will help illuminate the cultural significance and creative contributions of these artists.
Interns will work closely with one of the museum's Culture Curators and the Black Jewelry Research Initiative curatorial team to develop research profiles, transcribe oral histories, and craft a compelling online narrative. This internship is ideal for students interested in African American history, material culture, decorative arts, or digital humanities. Undergraduate students as eligible by program requirements preferred.
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3. Center for the Study of African American Religious Life (CSAARL) Publications Intern
Through innovative scholarship, public programs, and collecting religious artifacts, the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life (CSAARL) expands the ways religions are acknowledged and explored by our nation’s research and cultural institutions and the general public. The Center is guided by its commitment to exploring technology’s influence on religious life. Multiple religious traditions and expressions are central to our interpretative work.
During the initial phase of CSAARL, the Museum launched a first-of-its-kind Center dedicated to the preservation and exploration of African American religious and spiritual life. CSAARL exceeded the goals for Phase 1 funding by, among other accomplishments, establishing a presence in the fields of religious studies, theology, and museum studies; fostering community partnerships with national and local religious organizations; expanding the Museum’s collections; creating digital-first projects; presenting compelling exhibitions, public programs, including the lauded Spirit in the Dark: Religion in Black Music, Activism, and Popular Culture exhibition; creating and producing gOD-Talk, an award-winning digital series and featured film; releasing a major publication, Movements, Motions, Moments: Photographs of Religion and Spirituality from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Additionally, the Center recruited stellar staff and post-doctoral fellows, which allowed the Center to increase the volume and intensity of its work and propel the careers of a new generation of religious and spiritual leaders.
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The Center for the Study of African American Religious Life Publications Intern will assist in the initial process of the designing, publishing, and producing of a magazine and/or journal for the Center for African American Religious Life (CSAARL) and the gODTalk film series. The goal is to ensure the intern gains a well-rounded experience that includes designing, producing, publishing, and distributing a magazine and/or journal. The intern will take part in weekly and monthly meetings connected to these tasks and the CSAARL broader work across the Museum.
4. Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Intern
The Sports and Race Initiative (SRI) was created because the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) recognizes that sports provide a unique entry point into the African American experience. Given the centrality of sports to American life, the influence of athletes, and the ability of sports to bring together cross sections of individuals, regardless of race, gender, and socio-cultural backgrounds, sports bridge barriers that are frequently difficult to navigate.
The Culture division of OCA documents, collects and preserves information and materials related to the cultural heritage of African Americans and other select groups, whose actions have influenced and/or contributed to the African American experience, including those associated with the African Diaspora. The Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Intern will assist the Supervisory Curator of Sports and other members of the Sports and Race Initiative team with exhibition-related tasks including object acquisition, and program-related activities. They will conduct research and work on a variety of projects involving the permanent collection, and sports-related programming.
This internship is principally designed to help interns engage one of the most important aspects of curatorial work: collecting objects. Some projects will overlap with other departments, enabling interns to gain broad exposure to other areas of museum operations.
Skills Development
These internships equip participants with essential museum skills while also developing highly transferable abilities like analytical thinking, clear communication, cultural competency, and project management. These competencies are valuable not only in curatorial and archival work but also across industries such as journalism, marketing, and other careers.
Summary of Opportunities
Below is a summary table highlighting the various opportunities discussed:
| Museum | Opportunity | Description | Target Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| African American Museum in Philadelphia | Job Positions | Various roles across different departments | All levels of education and experience |
| NMAAHC | Language and Literature Internship | Curatorial practices and research in language and literature | Junior/Senior undergraduates, graduate students, recent alumni |
| NMAAHC | Black Jewelry Research Initiative Internship | Documenting and sharing stories of Black jewelers | Students interested in African American history, material culture, decorative arts, or digital humanities |
| NMAAHC | CSAARL Publications Intern | Assisting in the design, publishing, and production of a magazine/journal | Individuals interested in religious studies and museum studies |
| NMAAHC | Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Intern | Assisting with exhibition-related tasks and research for the Sports and Race Initiative | Individuals interested in sports and African American history |
