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Extraordinary African American Women Celebrated in New Interactive Exhibit
Extraordinary African American Women Celebrated in New Interactive Exhibit
Washington, DC- It would be difficult to imagine the course of American history without them: Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad; Rosa Parks and her brave refusal in 1955 to relinquish her seat on a
“From Mary McCleod Bethune to Dorothy Height, the stories in ‘Freedom’s Sisters’ will surely inspire and motivate all Americans, especially younger visitors,” said Jim Vella, Ford Motor Company Fund President. “We are deeply proud to be a part of this important, educational and uplifting exhibition that honors these individuals and the causes that they served.”
The exhibition opens its three-year national tour at the
“The inspiring stories of these women should be told and told again,” said
”These 20 women left not a footnote but a footprint on American history,” said SITES Director
The exhibition has been embraced by a prestigious National Committee of Honor. Members of the Freedom’s Sisters Committee of Honor include Quincy Jones, Mae Jemison, General Colin Powell, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cathy Hughes, Sheila Johnson, Elizabeth Eckford, Johnetta Cole and a wide range of national dignitaries, reflecting the exhibitions broad appeal.
Organized around four themes - “Dare to Dream,” “Inspire Lives” “Serve the Public” and “Look to the Future” - “Freedom’s Sisters” is designed especially as an educational tool targeting students. Historical simulations and interactive displays are being set up to drive home messages and meanings central to each woman’s life.
Freedom’s Sisters
Ella J. Baker Barbara Jordan
Constance Baker Motley Mary McLeod Bethune
Shirley Chisholm
Mary Church Terrell Sonia Sanchez
Septima Poinsette Clark Coretta Scott King
Kathleen Cleaver Betty Shabazz
Myrlie Evers-Williams Harriet Tubman
Fannie Lou Hamer C. Delores Tucker
Dorothy Height Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Charlayne Hunter-Gault Ida B. Wells
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford does business. Established in 1949 and made possible by Ford Motor Company profits, Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st-century learning experiences, and Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford’s legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, salaried employees, union members, retirees and their families participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.ford.com.
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside
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