Samuel W. Black preserves African American history through exhibitions, scholarship and museum leadership that connect individual experiences with national narratives. As Director of the Museum of African American History at the Senator John Heinz History Center, he brings that work to public audiences.

His award-winning exhibitions include From Slavery to Freedom and Soul Soldiers: African Americans and the Vietnam Era. His books examine Black military service, the Civil War and African American life in Cleveland.

Black served as President of the Association of African American Museums from 2011 to 2016 and chairs Pennsylvania's International Underground Railroad Month Committee.

His distinctions include Smithsonian and Fulbright fellowships, the association's Dr. John E. Fleming Award and ASALH's 2024 Mary McLeod Bethune Award.

A 2024 Davey Award recognized his writing on the Negro Motorist Green Book. Through research, interpretation and leadership in diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion, Black helps museums tell fuller histories, ensuring African American experiences remain central to understanding our shared past.