Program areas at NWHM
In 2023 the Museum opened its first physical exhibition at the mlk library in Washington, d.c. The effort was led by a team of leading scholars and historians as curators as well as world-class design, award-winning interactive display and highly regarded Museum display fabrication firms. The result was the timely, visually exciting, engaging and educational exhibition, "we who believe in freedom: black feminist d.c." which traces black feminism in Washington, dc from the turn of the 20th century through civil rights to today, highlighting the role black feminism in d.c. Played in shaping black feminist thought. This groundbreaking undertaking resulted in an opening to enthusiastic reviews in march 2023, and will continue through september 2024. The exhibition enhanced the Museum's ability to reach the public with physical as well as virtual content. "we who believe in freedom" was awarded a 2023 muse award for experiential & immersive exhibition experience and a bronze award at the 3rd annual anthem awards in the category of human & civil rights.
In 2020, the Museum entered a multi-year partnership with the u.s. mint and the smithsonian institution american Women's History initiative on the american Women's quarters program. The coins went into circulation in january 2022 with the issuance of five coins featuring maya angelou, wilma mankiller, adelina otero-warren, dr. sally ride and anna may wong. Each quarter was supported by educational programming at local museums, schools, and other venues around the country. The Museum further supported the sharing of stories of these accomplished women through classroom-ready materials available online and special events. In 2023 the Museum supported the release of five coins featuring bessie coleman, iovita idar, edith kanaka'ole, eleanor roosevelt and maria tallchief. Additional coins will be issued over the next two years with the Museum's continued leadership and involvement.
The Museum continued its commitment to free, accessible Women's History education through a robust virtual programming schedule that included online exhibitions, a compendium of biographies, classroom-ready lesson plans, research resources, virtual field trips, a virtual book club, panel discussions, author talks and virtual workshops for educators' professional development. The Museum's open resource, educational website averaged over 5 million visitors from around the globe in 2023. In addition to our work with the us mint (see below), in 2023 the Museum developed, co-hosted and/or spearheaded several key collaborative projects and events with new stakeholders and leading voices in Women's advocacy and empowerment spaces. These included a panel discussion and reception for Women's equality day (august 26), an exploration of #metoo and beyond with leading scholars and activists including ashley judd (october 24), the maya angelou documentary screening and talkback (october 26), and four days of activities on the National mall in d. c. surrounding dendrofemonology: the feminist History tree ring (november 1-4).