National Building Museum
401 F Street NWMembers are invited to take an exclusive tour of the National Building Museum's special exhibition, A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4978 Schools that Changed America. Through striking black-and-white photography, the exhibition tells the largely unknown story of the early twentieth-century partnership between Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish businessman and philanthropist, and Booker T. Washington, a Black educator, author, and reformer, which led to the construction of thousands of schoolhouses across fifteen states in the segregated South.
To document this story, Jewish photographer and curator Andrew Feiler traveled more than 25,000 miles, visiting 105 schools and interviewing dozens of former students, teachers, preservationists, and community leaders. The exhibition features Feiler’s photographs and narratives, reproduced architectural drawings and school models, a recreated Rosenwald classroom with period artifacts, and an introductory video, providing a vivid account of this transformative initiative. Learn more about the exhibition.
1-hour tours will take place from 11am-12pm and 1-2pm.
Tour participants will meet the guide at the National Building Museum:
401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Metro Red Line to Judiciary Square, National Building Museum exit
Enter the Member Code on your digital Membership card to register for this free event. For assistance with your member code, please contact Associate Director of Administration, Raven Orlikoff, at membership@capitaljewishmuseum.org or 202-525-2250. You may also find the member code in the Member Portal.
Not yet a member? Join today for unlimited free admission, exclusive opportunities, and many more benefits.
Image: Bay Springs School - Forrest County, Mississippi 1925-1958 (Photo Credit - Andrew Feiler). Courtesy of the National Building Museum.
Aug 13, 2026 11:00 AM-2:00 PM
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
The Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum collects, preserves, and shares the diverse stories of Jewish history and culture in the National Capital Region. Through exhibitions and programs, we build connections across generations and communities, encourage reflection on the relevance of the past to today, and inspire civic and community engagement.
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