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Feminism: The Second Wave

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Founded in 1996, the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is an innovative museum dedicated to uncovering, interpreting, and celebrating women’s diverse contributions to society. A renowned leader in women’s history education, the Museum brings to life the countless untold stories of women throughout history, and serves as a space for all to inspire, experience, collaborate, and amplify women’s impact—past, present, and future. We strive to fundamentally change the way women and girls see their potential and power. NWHM fills in major omissions of women in history books and K-12 education, providing scholarly content and educational programming for teachers, students, and parents. We reach more than five million visitors each year through our online content and education programming and, in March 2023, mounted our first physical exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown Washington, DC, "We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC."

Each time a girl opens a book and reads a womanless history, she learns she is worth less.

Myra Pollack Sadker
Professor, Author, Researcher, and Activist

Did You Know?

After her emigration to the U.S. from her native Cuba, Celia Cruz adopted her iconic exclamation ¡AZUCAR! liberally in her performances. She claimed that her interjection originated at a Miami restaurant, where she was shocked by the question of whether she wanted sugar in her coffee. She used the word when singing to express intense joy in the sweetness of the moment. At the same time, its literal meaning (sugar) evoked her Spanish-speaking, Afro-Cuban identity. Cuba’s economy rested on sugar production, which had historically depended on Black enslaved labor and the African diaspora. Living as an exile, Cruz had to assert her passion for sugar and, through it, her very Cubanidad.

You can learn more about Celia Cruz as we celebrate the release of her US Quarter, as well as other singers from US History in this month’s featured biographies.

Use the NWHM’s compendium of online biographies to spark curiosity and dig deeper into women’s impact throughout our shared national history. Explore more here

If we want our girls to benefit from the courage and wisdom of the women before them, we have to share the stories.

Shireen Dodson

Students and Educators

Discover our educational resources. Find lesson plans, biographies, posters, timelines, videos, and more on a wide variety of women's history topics. 

Museum News

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New: NWHM's Annual Impact Report

Read our first annual Impact Report, which explores our work in 2023.
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Just Announced: NWHM's 2024 "For Educators, By Educators" Cohort

The "For Educators, By Educators" Cohort will collaborate with Museum staff to create K-12 lesson plans to help learners explore women's impacts on society.
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The National Women's History Museum Named America250 National Resource Partner for Women's History

NWHM is among a select group of expert nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations that will help elevate and scale America250 programming.
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Join Us for Our 2025 Gala!

The National Women's History Museum and honorary gala chair Meryl Streep invite you to save the date for our 2025 Women Making History Awards in Washington, DC. Join us as we celebrate extraordinary, trailblazing women who have made profound contributions to our society and who serve as inspiration for the next generation of leaders, change agents, and history makers. Honorees to be announced soon.

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Celebrate Celia!

The National Women’s History Museum and the U.S. Mint—in partnership with the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music, Lehman College, Telemundo, and the estate of Celia Cruz—invite you to join us in the Bronx, NY on September 27 for a special celebration of the incomparable Celia Cruz and the launch of the new quarter in her honor.

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Artwork on Display at the MLK Library

The Glass Ceiling Breaker art installation celebrates Vice President Kamala Harris' seminal achievement as America's first woman vice president and honors all women who came before who shattered glass ceilings.

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Upcoming Events

2024-09-27

Historic Change: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Celia Cruz

Join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of Celia Cruz and the new quarter in her honor.
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2024-10-24

Historic Change: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Zitkála-Šá

Join us on October 24 in Salt Lake City for a special evening in celebration of Zitkála-Šá and the new quarter released in her honor.
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