Though the month of March, and, with it, Women’s History Month are drawing to a close, there are still several ways to continue learning about and celebrating the countless women that have made and are making our world a better place. Now that a cold and erratic winter has given way to a sunny spring, here are a few places you catch some rays traveling to as an alternative to staying indoors.
The Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum – Baltimore, MD
The namesake of the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum in Baltimore is an often unsung heroine of the Civil Rights Movement.
Best known as a long-time president of the Baltimore branch of the NAACP and the “Mother of Freedom” in her native Baltimore, Lillie May Carroll Jackson was an early practitioner of the nonviolent resistance that the Civil Rights Movement and many of its most popular figures came to be known for. She was a tireless defender of justice and equality whose efforts with the NAACP grew the Baltimore chapter to the largest in the United States.
Upon Jackson’s request, her home on Eutaw Place in Baltimore was converted into a civil rights museum after her death, officially opening its doors in 1976. Visitors to the museum can learn about Jackson’s life, work, and the civil rights movement through its many historical artifacts and educational resources.
We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC at the MLK Library – Washington, DC
The DC Public Library and the National Women’s History Museum announced last year that they would be collaborating on an exhibition, and on March 30, it will finally be open to the public. “We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC” will showcase and celebrate the legacy of black feminist activism in and around the Washington, DC area. The National Women’s History Museum partnered with the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library last year to unveil “Glass Ceiling Breaker,” a sculpture by Simon Berger depicting Vice President Kamala Harris made of shattered glass, but the opening of We Who Believe in Freedom marks the first time that the museum, which operates online, will host a full in-person exhibition. The exhibition will officially open at the MLK Library at 5 p.m. on March 30.
The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House – Washington, DC
Vermont Avenue in Northwest DC is home to the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, a designated National Historic Site that was Bethune’s last home and the National Council of Negro Women’s (NCNW) first home. Bethune, a legendary civil and women’s rights activist, was the NCNW’s founding president, the president of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the vice president of the NAACP, and the director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a position that made her the highest-ranking black woman in the United States government. The National Park Service offers tours of the Victorian townhouse that shed light on Bethune and the history of the NCNW.
The Museum for Black Girls – Washington, DC
Since September of last year, the Museum for Black Girls pop-up has been on display at Union Market in DC. The museum is composed of an immersive installation featuring the work of ten black women artists. Founded in 2019, DC is the pop-up’s third stop following Denver and Houston, the latter still being in operation. Not only is the installation great for a viewing experience, but it can also provide exposure—the museum is actively searching for artists to feature in their next pop-up, and are accepting applications on their website.