Join the National Women’s History Museum on select Sundays each month as we bring you free virtual programming from the comfort of your home! From panel discussions, author talks, guest curated walk throughs of brand-new online exhibits and virtual workshops, we invite you to take a “women’s history break” with us to feel inspired and come away empowered by the stories of women on whose shoulders we now stand. All NWHM Presents! [email protected] programming is free to attend, but pre-registration is required.
The National Women’s History Museum strives to provide programs that are accessible to all visitors. For questions, or to request accommodations such as an ASL interpreter or captioning, please email [email protected] at least 7 days in advance of the program.
Letter From a Birmingham Jail: A Conversation with Mrs. Willie Mackey King
Sunday, August 8, 3:00pm EDT
In April 1963, days after Martin Luther King, Jr. was jailed for public protests in Birmingham, Alabama, he began smuggling notes out of jail through his lawyers. The notes, which became the “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”, were written along newspaper edges, table napkins, toilet paper and whatever scraps of paper that Dr. King could find to write on. The job of deciphering King’s handwritten notes and transcribing them fell to Mrs. Willie Mackey King, a member of the executive staff for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference under the leadership of Dr. King.
Join the National Women’s History Museum on Sunday, August 8th at 3:00pm EDT as we welcome Mrs. King for a conversation moderated by Shelly Stokes-Hammond about this extraordinary moment in history and Mrs. King’s life of service and activism. Mrs. King will be available for Q&A following the program.
To register, click here
Borderland, The Life and Times of Blanche Ames Ames
Sunday, August 22, 3:00pm EDT
Join the National Women's History Museum for a screening of Borderland, The Life and Times of Blanche Ames Ames in celebration of Women's Equality Day! Live Q&A to will follow with Dr. Linzy Brekke-Aloise.
Blanche Ames came from a long line of strong women and powerful men. Her grandmother, Sarah Hildreth Butler, was a popular Shakespearean actress. Her grandfather? Civil War General Benjamin Franklin Butler. Adelbert Ames, her father, was also a Union General and, later, a Reconstruction governor. But it was her mother, Blanche Butler Ames, who posed the question that would serve as the touchstone for young Blanche's life: Will women ever have the same rights as men? For Blanche Ames, the only possible answer was yes.Beginning with a speech she delivered to President McKinley as president of her class at Smith College (class of 1899), Blanche Ames became a leader of the woman suffrage movement in Massachusetts. She used her talents as an artist to create pro-suffrage political cartoons that both inspired and enraged. President Taft responded personally to one of her cartoons. Later, Blanche would turn her attention to reproductive rights, becoming the first president of the Birth Control League of Massachusetts in 1916. She eventually split with Margaret Sanger over the issue of eugenics.
Blanche Ames took on society's elite, the Catholic Church, even her in-laws while advocating for women's rights. Fortunately, she chose a partner, husband Oakes Ames, who was not related, though they shared the same last name before marriage. Oakes Ames was equally dedicated to women's rights. Together, the couple wrote, drew, rallied, and organized, all while raising four children at their home called Borderland, now a Massachusetts state park in North Easton, Massachusetts.
To register, click here
One Year Later: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Sunday, September 19, 3:00pm EDT
Join the National Women's History Museum on Sunday, September 19th at 3:00pm EDT as we honor Justice Ginsburg one year after her death. Amanda L. Tyler, who co-authored Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union (University of California Press, March 16th 2021) with the formidable Ginsburg will be joined on the virtual stage by Dr. Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU School of Law for a conversation that honors her legacy of breaking barriers, fighting for gender equality, and inspiring multiple generations of women to pursue their dreams and the power of the ballot.
To register, click here
"The Missing Waves of Feminism" Symposium Series
September 26 and December 12
6:00pm ET
In celebration of 25 years of service and dedication to amplifying women’s distinct contributions to our nation’s history, the National Women’s History Museum is proud to present this four-part virtual panel discussion series, “The Missing Waves of Feminism.” “The Missing Waves” examines the “lost eras” of the traditionally recognized canon of the Four Waves of Feminism, including examples of early activism, the roles of minority women, and the impact of social movements that continued to progress for women’s rights even as the nation’s attention was turned to wars, pandemics, and internal disputes.
Highlighting barrier-breaking women, scholars, and activists whose work centers around citizenship, equity, voter suppression, equal pay, and social justice, the panelists represent a diverse array of disciplines and cultural studies. Using a virtual platform, this eye-opening series strives to connect audiences with presenters whose intellect and talents demonstrate women’s backbone, ingenuity, and forward thinking from the late 18th century to the start of this new decade.
These events are free to attend, but advance registration is required.
Click here to register for one, or all four, events.
The Missing Waves of Feminism: The Third Wave
Sunday, September 26th 6:00pm ET
More information coming soon!
Pre-register here
The Missing Waves of Feminism: The Fourth Wave
Sunday, December 12th 6:00pm ET
More information coming soon!
Pre-register here
Until I Am Free: In Conversation with Author Dr. Keisha N. Blain
Sunday, October 24, 3:00pm EDT
Join the NWHM on Sunday, October 24th at 3:00pm EDT as we welcome award-willing historian and New York Times best-selling author Keisha N. Blain for a conversation about her book, Until I Am Free. In Until I Am Free, Blain situates Fannie Lou Hamer as a key political thinker alongside leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks and demonstrates how her ideas remain salient for a new generation of activists committed to dismantling systems of oppression in the United States and across the globe. Explores the Black activist’s ideas and political strategies, highlighting their relevance for tackling modern social issues including voter suppression, police violence, and economic inequality.
A blend of social commentary, biography, and intellectual history, Until I Am Free is a manifesto for anyone committed to social justice. The book challenges us to listen to a working-poor and disabled Black woman activist and intellectual of the civil rights movement as we grapple with contemporary concerns around race, inequality, and social justice.
To register, click here