What is a hall of fame? I asked Google.
“A hall of fame is a type of museum where people can see things relating to famous people who are connected with a particular area of activity.”
I beg to differ. Here’s why.
The National Women’s Hall of Fame recognizes women who SHOULD be famous. Most are not, at least by today’s standards.
Why is that? Go back to Google and search “the Matilda effect.”
Suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage ignited this very conversation in 1870 when she authored the pamphlet “Woman as Inventor,” highlighting how women’s contributions have historically and systematically been overlooked, forgotten, and misattributed. Her work ignited conversations about how we honor and celebrate women’s achievements.
Yet more than 150 years later, most honorees in the National Women’s Hall of Fame are names you still don’t know. Like Anna Wessels Williams, whose research led to the vaccine for diphtheria. Or Maya Lin, who won the design competition for the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial at only 21 years old, and whose work continues to shape the American architectural landscape. Or Shirley Ann Jackson, the first woman to chair the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the first African American woman to serve on the Commission.
The stories of these women and their achievements deserve to be told. They inspire future generations of changemakers and play a critical role in the advancement of our society. That’s why we’re trying to bring the Hall’s Induction Ceremony to a national audience in 2024. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broadcast the ceremony from coast to coast. But it’s not a guarantee; we need funding to make it happen. We need you.
First and foremost, we need your financial contributions to bring this broadcast to tens of millions of viewers during Women’s History Month, and beyond.
We also need your voice and your platform. Share this post on your social media, raise the visibility of the Hall and the achievements of women, and inspire others to help us make history.
This broadcast is an important part of the Hall’s bigger-picture mission: to expand its reach and uplift women and girls through action, education, and storytelling. With your support, we can ensure the extraordinary women we honor are celebrated on a platform worthy of their achievements.
Maybe, with the reach of a national broadcast, these great women will get the recognition they have earned – and the fame they deserve.
— Jennifer Gabriel, CEO