The National Women’s History Museum Fetes Achievements, Wants More
A trip to the National Mall is often an enriching experience because of all of the nearby museums. But despite what you may hear… there is still room for more museums to come!
The National Women’s History Museum is trying to make itself present to the public in the form of a brick and mortar museum. Right now, the museum has the support of a Congressional Commission on an American Museum of Women’s History, which was established in December 2014. That said, the museum is not looking to receive federal funding… instead, it has so far been funded entirely through private donations!
Even though the museum is still in its developmental stages, the National Women’s History Museum decided to celebrate the accomplishments of three women this year. Those women were Ann Veneman, who was noted for her accomplishments in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the United Nations, Aesha Ash, for her accomplishments as an African-American ballet dancer and her work after retirement, and master musician Christine Walevska for her talent with the cello. Previous honorees included DC Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, actress Phylicia Rashad, and the late Maya Angelou.
Before the awards ceremony went underway, New York Representative Carolyn B. Maloney and DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton made speeches where they expressed their support for the establishment of a woman’s museum that does justice to the stories of so many women.
The Honorable Holmes Norton said “There are thousands of untold stories – if the museum doesn’t tell them, who will?”
In an event where many successful women showed up, the need for such a museum becomes more urgent.