Political Voices of Women Community
Women blogging about politics.
Join the Right Here, Right Now Campaign and Give Women's History a Home in D.C.!
Despite women’s enormous presence and accomplishments throughout U.S. history in public and political life, we still are not represented in our nation’s capital with a monument or museum venue that truly captures the spirit and narratives of American women. Do you find this as unacceptable as I do?
Well, thankfully the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) seeks to change this and put women’s history on the map, the walking map of Washington D.C. that is, with their Right Here, Right Now Campaign, and right now – they need your help! Read on to find out more about the Campaign and what you can do...
The NWHM was founded in 1996, and since that time, has succeeded in creating opportunities for women’s history to claim its rightful place within American cultural and historical dialogue and display. Highlights of the NWHM’s advocacy include the establishment of its Cyber Museum which features online exhibits about women in history, and its successful campaign to move statues of female suffragists into the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building where they can be honored next to their historical counterparts, visited, and viewed by students, tourists, etc.
In 2008, the NWHM launched its Right Here, Right Now Campaign, which focuses on the passage of legislation, H.R. 6548, introduced by Carolyn D. Maloney of New York in July. This bill would allow the NWHM to purchase a parcel of currently unused land, adjacent to the National Mall, for the purpose of building a brick-and-mortar women’s history museum. The location is at 12th Street S.W. and Independence Avenue S.W., and is across the street from the National Air and Space Museum, the National American History Museum and the National Gallery of Art. The new National Women’s History Museum would be dedicated to preserving the narratives and artifacts of women’s personal, public, and political lives throughout American history and would finally give women’s history a home in our nation’s capital city.
As the summer winds down and the U.S. Congress returns for a brief session this fall, advocates have a clear and limited window of opportunity to gain support and co-sponsorships for H.R. 6548, and pass it through the House and Senate in order to prevent it from languishing in congressional committees and dying in the current legislative year. It is expected that Congress will only convene for a short time this fall season before going on recess, and as a result, we must act now to secure this site for women’s history in Washington D.C.
Recently, I had the honor and pleasure of speaking with the President of the Board of Directors at NWHM, Joan Bradley Wages, about the importance of the Right Here, Right Now Campaign, and why we must all join with her and the NWHM in this effort. As an accomplished political activist and strong advocate of inclusive educational programs that truly honor the history of women, Ms. Wages noted that this campaign arrives at a timely and critical anniversary for American women’s history: the 160th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention held on July 19-20, 1848. This date and its anniversary carry with them enormous importance for women in the U.S., and in a year marked by other historical events such as Hillary Clinton’s run for presidency and the 5th Olympic triumph of Dana Torres, Ms. Wages stated with incredible urgency that “it is time for women to be recognized on our National Mall.”
So, what can we do to ensure that the history of women is finally honored in our nation’s capital city? There are several quick and easy action steps that we can take within minutes to make this Campaign for a National Women’s History Museum a reality!
Next Steps:
1.) Click here to send an electronic message to your representatives telling them to support H.R. 6548;
2.) Print out your letters automatically generated from the message and send them to your representatives, urging them to become sponsors of the bill;
3.) Post the Right Here, Right Now Campaign badges to your emails, blogs, and websites;
4.) Visit the Campaign website to get more information;
5.) Find out if your organization or affiliates would like to become NWHM Coalition partners by clicking here;
6.) Now tell 5 other people to do the same!
Well, thankfully the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) seeks to change this and put women’s history on the map, the walking map of Washington D.C. that is, with their Right Here, Right Now Campaign, and right now – they need your help! Read on to find out more about the Campaign and what you can do...
The NWHM was founded in 1996, and since that time, has succeeded in creating opportunities for women’s history to claim its rightful place within American cultural and historical dialogue and display. Highlights of the NWHM’s advocacy include the establishment of its Cyber Museum which features online exhibits about women in history, and its successful campaign to move statues of female suffragists into the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building where they can be honored next to their historical counterparts, visited, and viewed by students, tourists, etc.
In 2008, the NWHM launched its Right Here, Right Now Campaign, which focuses on the passage of legislation, H.R. 6548, introduced by Carolyn D. Maloney of New York in July. This bill would allow the NWHM to purchase a parcel of currently unused land, adjacent to the National Mall, for the purpose of building a brick-and-mortar women’s history museum. The location is at 12th Street S.W. and Independence Avenue S.W., and is across the street from the National Air and Space Museum, the National American History Museum and the National Gallery of Art. The new National Women’s History Museum would be dedicated to preserving the narratives and artifacts of women’s personal, public, and political lives throughout American history and would finally give women’s history a home in our nation’s capital city.
As the summer winds down and the U.S. Congress returns for a brief session this fall, advocates have a clear and limited window of opportunity to gain support and co-sponsorships for H.R. 6548, and pass it through the House and Senate in order to prevent it from languishing in congressional committees and dying in the current legislative year. It is expected that Congress will only convene for a short time this fall season before going on recess, and as a result, we must act now to secure this site for women’s history in Washington D.C.
Recently, I had the honor and pleasure of speaking with the President of the Board of Directors at NWHM, Joan Bradley Wages, about the importance of the Right Here, Right Now Campaign, and why we must all join with her and the NWHM in this effort. As an accomplished political activist and strong advocate of inclusive educational programs that truly honor the history of women, Ms. Wages noted that this campaign arrives at a timely and critical anniversary for American women’s history: the 160th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention held on July 19-20, 1848. This date and its anniversary carry with them enormous importance for women in the U.S., and in a year marked by other historical events such as Hillary Clinton’s run for presidency and the 5th Olympic triumph of Dana Torres, Ms. Wages stated with incredible urgency that “it is time for women to be recognized on our National Mall.”
So, what can we do to ensure that the history of women is finally honored in our nation’s capital city? There are several quick and easy action steps that we can take within minutes to make this Campaign for a National Women’s History Museum a reality!
Next Steps:
1.) Click here to send an electronic message to your representatives telling them to support H.R. 6548;
2.) Print out your letters automatically generated from the message and send them to your representatives, urging them to become sponsors of the bill;
3.) Post the Right Here, Right Now Campaign badges to your emails, blogs, and websites;
4.) Visit the Campaign website to get more information;
5.) Find out if your organization or affiliates would like to become NWHM Coalition partners by clicking here;
6.) Now tell 5 other people to do the same!
Add a Comment
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Comment by Emily Kronenberger on August 22, 2008 at 3:02pm - Thanks Pamela!
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Comment by Pamela Lyn on August 22, 2008 at 8:39am - Thanks for the great post. I definitely wrote to my reps.
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