NWHM in the News

According to the National Women's History Museum, Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm was the first Black Congresswoman, serving seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning in 1969. She was also the first woman and Black American to seek the nomination for president from one of the two major political parties, in 1972.

The commission is partnering with organizations that will give them input on how to acknowledge “the good, the bad and the ugly,” as Rios put it, like the National Congress of American Indians and the National Women’s History Museum. “I want to go beyond just the obvious stories of women,” says Frédérique Irwin, president and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum.

One of the partners is the National Women's History Museum (NWHM). In a recent statement from NWHM president and CEO Frederique Irwin, she says, "Women have been largely excluded from the narrative of America’s historical contributions and achievements. As a National Resource Partner, we'll support the strategic vision that the America250 Commission has laid out to ensure that women's stories and history are incorporated in this commemoration."

Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland in 1822 and dedicated her life to helping others escape. In her lifetime, she led approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom, per the National Women's History Museum. In New York City, Tubman worked with other abolitionists and organizations that helped her organize the trips between the north and south, and NYC would mark the start of the proposed corridor.

Tubman died of pneumonia on March 10, 1913, at 91 years old, according to the National Women’s History Museum. Surrounded by loved ones, her final words were documented as “I go away to prepare a place for you,” a reference to John 14:3 in the Bible, according to Kate Clifford Larson, author of 'Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero.' “Aunt Harriet did her part,” Wyatt said. “Now we have to do things to help ourselves heal.” And the best way to do that, she said, is to celebrate freedom.

The National Women’s History Museum wrote that, as a polygamous wife herself and a doctor who delivered babies that the federal government saw as evidence of polygamy, Cannon was considered an important witness in prosecuting people in polygamous marriages. To protect her husband and her patients, she at different times of her life fled to England and California, where she lived in exile.

The United States Mint and National Women’s History Museum will collaborate on the June 8 event from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time at Oswego High School, 2 Buccaneer Blvd., in Oswego. The event will include a panel discussion about Dr. Walker’s legacy, and performances and a special presentation to the Walker family. The event is free but registration is required at the National Women’s History Museum website.

According to the National Women's History Museum, Bates was a prominent civil rights activist in Little Rock Arkansas. Throughout the 1900s, she helped lead a popular newspaper, The Arkansas Weekly, served as the President of the NAACP Arkansas chapter and pushed the state's schools to integrate after the U.S. Supreme Court deemed segregation unconstitutional in 1954 ... "She regularly drove the students to school and worked tirelessly to ensure they were protected from violent crowds. She also advised the group and even joined the school’s parent organization," the Museum wrote about her.

Mayor Rob Corradino has announced that the Oswego Town Historical Society, the National Women’s History Museum, and the U.S. Mint will hold a ceremony June 8 at the Oswego High School’s Robinson-Faust Theater at 2 p.m. to honor and celebrate Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and reveal the Dr. Walker quarter. June 8 has been proclaimed as Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Day in the city. Walker is one of only five women selected by the U.S. Mint for its American Women Quarters Program in recognition of her accomplishments and contributions to history

Local and national organizations have joined forces to recognize a true American pioneer – Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. The National Women’s History Museum and the U.S. Mint are working with the Oswego Town Historical Society and the Oswego County Historical Society to hold a ceremony on Saturday, June 8. The free event is open to the public and celebrates the upcoming release of the Dr. Mary Walker quarter as part of the U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program, which recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of trailblazing women who have helped shape American history and pave the way for generations to come.