Abstract
As an Afliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Senator John Heinz History Center was invited by the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC) Office of Strategic Partnerships to apply for its pilot program, the Robert F. Smith Fund Internship and Fellowship Program. The Robert F. Smith Fund internships are meant to increase participation of groups who are underrepresented in the museum feld. The Smith Fund is addressing a need to increase opportunities for people of color in the profession. As a central point of the mission of the Association of African American Museums (AAAM) and the Smith Fund, the program started at an opportune time when much media and field-wide discussion is centered on
the status of people of color in museums.