Slavery Exhibit Changes at African American History Museum

Rare slave ship timber returning to South Africa as loan agreement ends

Mar. 12, 2026 at 12:21pm

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The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. is removing a rare timber remnant from the sunken slave ship São José-Paquete de Africa from its 'Slavery and Freedom' exhibit. The timber piece will be sent back to its home museum in South Africa as a loan agreement comes to an end.

Why it matters

The São José-Paquete de Africa was one of the first sunken slave ships ever recovered, making the timber an important historical artifact that has been on display at the museum to educate visitors about the transatlantic slave trade. The removal of this exhibit piece marks a change in the museum's approach to representing this painful history.

The details

The timber piece from the São José-Paquete de Africa slave ship has been on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as part of its 'Slavery and Freedom' exhibit. The museum is now preparing to send the artifact back to its home museum in South Africa as a loan agreement comes to an end.

  • The timber piece will be removed from the exhibit later this month.

The players

National Museum of African American History and Culture

A Smithsonian museum located in Washington, D.C. that explores the history and culture of African Americans.

São José-Paquete de Africa

A sunken slave ship that was one of the first ever recovered, providing an important historical artifact related to the transatlantic slave trade.

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The takeaway

The removal of this rare slave ship timber from the museum's exhibit marks a change in how the institution represents the history of the transatlantic slave trade, highlighting the ongoing efforts to thoughtfully curate and contextualize these painful yet crucial narratives.