Ever since runaway slave Crispus Attucks became one of the famous victims of the Boston Massacre of 1770, the African-American community of Boston has played an important part in the city's history. Throughout the 19th century, abolition was the cause célèbre for Boston's intellectual elite, and during that time, blacks came to thrive in neighborhoods throughout the city. The Museum of Afro American History was established in 1964 to promote this history. The umbrella organization includes a trio of historic sites: the Abiel Smith School; the African Meeting House; and the African Meeting House on the island of Nantucket, off the coast of Cape Cod. Park Service personnel continue to lead tours of the Black Heritage Trail starting from the Shaw Memorial. The museum is the site of activities, including lectures, children's storytelling, and concerts focusing on black composers.

In 2006 the museum honored the 200th anniversary of the African Meeting House, the oldest black church building still standing in the United States, with a major restoration that returned the house to its 1855 appearance. The centerpiece of Beacon Hill's African-American community, the Meeting House was constructed almost entirely with African-American labor, using funds raised in both the white and the black communities. The facade is an adaptation of a design for a town house published by the Boston architect Asher Benjamin. In 1832 the New England Anti-Slavery Society was formed here under the leadership of William Lloyd Garrison. When the black community began to migrate at the end of the 19th century to the South End and Roxbury, the building became a synagogue. In 1972 it was purchased by the Museum of Afro American History, but that year a fire destroyed the slate roof and original pulpit. After its reconstruction, it was designated a historic site in 1974 and reopened in 1987.

In keeping with the big anniversary celebration, the Abiel Smith School will display the writings of Frederick Douglass, original printings of the poet Phillis Wheatley, and copies of William Lloyd Garrison's antislavery newspaper, the Liberator. The two-floor exhibit will also hold the findings of an archaeological dig, including photos, fine china, and a rare pulpit. The school operated from 1835 to 1855, educating a total of about 200 students.