It has been a whirlwind few months with moving to California, starting my PhD, helping my little sister plan her wedding, and still working full-time (yeesh – even writing it sounds exhausting)! But there have been some incredible, beautiful, and inspiring highlights that I wanted to share.
I was lucky and honored to be able to go to the National Women Making History Awards held in D.C. by the National Women’s History Museum on April 4th.
First, I’m ashamed to say that I did not realize we do not have a United States National Women’s History Museum. In fact, when I first heard about it, I thought that this couldn’t possibly be right. We have a museum for textiles! But not women? How did I not know that? How are young girls supposed to have role models if the women who shaped, created, and stamped their mark on history are forgotten, ignored, or left out?
Now I feel driven to let everyone else know – in case they, like me, were simply but inexcusably unaware. If nothing else, I hope that you will support the National Women’s History Museum, which incidentally has the largest Facebook following of any museum, but no brick and mortar building. They work to bring the stories of women who shaped history to everyone and currently operate off of private funding and with pop-up exhibits. If you have the opportunity to support them, I hope you will, especially this year, which marks the centennial of the year that our first group of women won the right to vote in the U.S (unfortunately, we often forget that this right was still not awarded to all women at that time).
Now, on to the awards, the honorees were unique, powerful, and inspiring. Their stories, impact, and contributions are so important to honor and to celebrate. Congratulations to former President of Spelman College and Bennett College and Former Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D., Gracie and multiple Emmy® Award-Winning advocate, activist, philanthropist and an internationally acclaimed home life expert Sandra Lee, and former United States Senator from Maine The Honorable Olympia J. Snowe for their extraordinary accomplishments.
I was humbled and honored to work at a firm that so intentionally and clearly supports its women and all women by sponsoring organizations and events like this one. Our very own Maureen Hardwick, a partner in our D.C. Office, uplifted the event with her beautiful remarks and I left, as I suspect many did that night, feeling empowered and so optimistic for the future. #DBRWomen #NWHM
Courtney Wylie 