National Women’s History Museum Debuts Black Feminist Exhibit at MLK Library

In late March, the National Women’s History Museum — not to be confused with the recently established Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum —  debuted its inaugural in-person exhibition at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown Washington, DC.

The exhibit, which will run through September 2024, is open to the public and free of charge.

We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC, curated by historians Sherie M. Randolph and Kendra T. Field, highlights more than 20 Black women activists whose work in the nation’s capital influenced national policy from the turn of the 20th century through the civil rights and Black Power movements.

Some of these Black feminist organizers and theorists include Anna Julia Cooper, Mary Church Terrell, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Loretta Ross.

“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, in a release. “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.”

In fact, the exhibit grew out of a unique partnership between NWHM, founded in 1996, and the DC Public Library at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library. The museum plans to work in communities across the nation to uncover local women’s history and build related programming and exhibitions.