National Women's History Museum

By: Katherine Dvorak, NWHM Volunteer

Photo Courtesy of The White House

During the pre-dawn hours of June 28, 1969 New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn. Looking to temporarily shut down the known gay bar and make some arrests, police were surprised when instead of quietly waiting for the police wagon, the bar’s lesbian, gay, and drag queen patrons, as well as the crowd that had gathered outside, fought back. The resulting riot and the protests that followed is largely credited as being the event that led to the modern Gay Rights movement.

One year later on June 28, 1970, members of the LGBT community in New York City walked 51 blocks from Christopher Street to Central Park to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots and bring attention to gay rights. That weekend Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco also held their first Gay Liberation Marches. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Katherine Dvorak

With a current population of approximately 10 million, hailing from 30 territories including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, Caribbean-Americans have played a role in shaping America since before its founding. From fighting slavery and segregation to serving in the highest levels of government to sports and entertainment, Caribbean-Americans have been active participants in the shaping of this country since the first Caribbean immigrants arrived in Jamestown, VA in 1619.

To help bring attention to this long and diverse history Dr. Claire Nelson founded The Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) in 1993 to bring attention to and advocate for the concerns of the Caribbean-American community in both the private and public sector. This effort included national recognition of the Caribbean-American Heritage and in 1999 ICS sent a letter to President Clinton requesting a month dedicated as Caribbean-American History Month. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Courtesy: Norfolk Library

By: Sydnee C. Winston, Project Coordinator

Last week’s #Throwback Thursday explored how circuses and carnivals, like P.T. Barnum’s circus, have long been traditions of American and European entertainment as well as a way for women to launch their own careers. Coney Island in New York was the launching place for many a female performer and was the birthplace of the dazzling Princess Rajah’s career as a show-stopping belly dancer and entertainer.

Princess Rajah, or Rose Ferran as she was born, was a headliner on the Keith Vaudeville Circuit in the early 1900s. She made an impressive $1000 per-week as a “cooch dancer” in Coney Island in the 1890s. One of her most popular dances, “The Arabian Chair Dance” (shown below), was recorded in a 1904 film and received rave reviews from the public. Awing audiences with her seductive undulations and her incredible feats of strength, Princess Rajah gracefully balanced a sturdy-looking chair between her teeth while dancing. Read the rest of this entry »

Fifty years ago today, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The law states no employer shall discriminate “between employees on the basis of sex by paying wages to employees in such establishment at a rate less than the rate at which he pays wages to employees of the opposite sex in such establishment for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions.”

When JFK signed the Equal Pay Act, women, on average, were earning 59 cents for every dollar men earned. Today, though, women still are making just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men for equal work. This disparity has led Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to co-sponsor an update to the law, called the Paycheck Fairness Act, along with a number of other female senators.

“We believe this is an economic issue. It’s not only about women but the middle class, and if you’re not paying a woman dollar for dollar for the exact same work you’re not really tapping the full potential of the economy,” said Gillibrand on “CBS This Morning.” “And why wouldn’t you tap the full potential of 52 percent of the resources of the women of this country? “If you paid women for dollar for dollar, you could raise the GDP by up to 9 percent.”

On June 5, the Senate failed to secure the 60 votes needed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Gillibrand believes that this setback was a result of politics.

Check out this interview with NWHM Ambassador and actress, Brianna Brown. She mentions her work with the Museum towards the end of the interview. Thanks Brianna!