WASHINGTON — A new exhibit tracing the history of Black feminism in Washington, D.C. from the turn of the 20th century to current day is set to open Thursday at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library downtown.
"We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC," will highlight more than 20 Black woman activists whose work in the District influenced national policy. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display from March 30, 2023, through September 15, 2024.
The exhibit is a major milestone for The National Women's History Museum (NWHM), as it is the first physical exhibition produced by the museum that originally started online more than 25 years ago to address the lack of female representation in museums and history books. NWHM brings to life the contributions and accomplishments of women throughout history with interactive online content, K-12 educational programming, and a variety of virtual and in-person events throughout the year.
“Our inaugural exhibit explores the stories and voices of Black feminist organizers and theorists whose work changed the trajectory for the lives of millions—work that continues today and is often overlooked in history books," said Susan D. Whiting, Board Chair, NWHM. “The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library is a beautiful venue to exhibit this important cultural content and, as a public building, ensures that the exhibit is accessible to all.”
Curated by historians Sherie M. Randolph and Kendra T. Field, the exhibit focuses on the stories and voices of more than 20 Black feminist organizers and theorists—including Anna Julia Cooper, Mary Church Terrell, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Loretta Ross—whose work changed the trajectory of the lives of millions of Black women in the D.C. community and across the country.
“In the decades after general emancipation, D.C. became an incredibly important destination for freedom’s first generation,” said Dr. Kendra T. Field, exhibition curator and associate professor of history and Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at Tufts University. “Tens of thousands of formerly enslaved women and their daughters migrated to D.C. to chart a freer life. Born during the last years of racial slavery in the U.S., women like Anna Julia Cooper and Mary Church Terrell migrated to D.C. and emerged as leading Black feminist educators, activists, and theorists. They built and organized the local and national Black women’s club movement and laid important groundwork for generations of Black feminists. It has been an honor to contribute to this important exhibit.”
Despite their significant contributions, officials claim many of these women remain largely unknown to the public.
“I hope visitors leave inspired to create a radical, emphatic, mobilizing feminist theory of their own. We need more theory and action inspired by Black feminism,” said Dr. Sherie M. Randolph, exhibition curator and associate professor of history at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “Write more poems, write more books and more manifestos connected to action. That would be a gift to us all.”
On March 31, NWHM will honor several women at its Women Making History Gala including Uma Thurman, Ashley Graham, Sharon Stone, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Willie Pearl Mackey King, for their extensive work in women’s activism and civil rights.
Officials say the new exhibit is made possible thanks to a unique partnership between NWHM and DC Public Library at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library.
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