National Museum of the American Indian Partners With National Archives To Present Conversation on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

“National Conversation” Is Part of National Archives’ “Amending America” Series; Features Prominent Women From a Wide Variety of Professional Backgrounds
October 6, 2016
News Release
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Logo for "Amending America" featuring three silhouettes

In partnership with the National Archives and the National Archives Foundation, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the National Archives in New York City are hosting a “National Conversation on Rights and Justice: Women’s Rights and Gender Equality” Friday, Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The National Archives chose New York City for this national conversation thanks to its rich history of honoring women and families, from the suffragette movement to the fight for equal rights today.

The event will be held at the museum’s George Gustav Heye Center in New York City and admission is free; it will also be live-streamed. To attend the event in person or to live stream, participants must register at: https://www.archivesfoundation.org/amendingamerica/conversations/women.

Space is limited. Credentialed members of the media interested in attending should email Katie Dixon at katie.dixon@bromwichgroup.com.

The conversation will focus on women’s rights, gender equality and advocacy. The all-day event will feature panel discussions with national leaders and remarks by national figures, including Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero, award-winning broadcast anchor and executive Soledad O’Brien and New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. Panelists representing Native America include renowned activist and president of the Morning Star Institute, Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee); the first female Native attorney to argue before the Supreme Court, Arlinda Locklear (Lumbee); and Machel Monenerkit (Comanche), deputy director of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Other panelists include:

  • U.S. Rep. Jerrold “Jerry” Nadler
  • Allida Black, George Washington University
  • Suzanne Braun Levine, Ms. magazine
  • Dana Edell, executive director of SPARK
  • Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates
  • Andrea Flynn, Roosevelt Institute
  • Avis Jones-DeWeever, founder of Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women
  • Aja Monet, poet
  • Alondra Nelson, inaugural dean of Social Science at Columbia University
  • Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, president and CEO, Goodwill Industries of Northern New England
  • Marianne Schnall, executive director and founder of Feminist.com
  • Rachel Simmons, nationally recognized author and scholar
  • Marissa Shorenstein, president, AT&T New York
  • Stephanie Toti, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights
  • Other feminist activists, scholars and elected officials from across the country

Held from spring 2016 to early 2017, the “National Conversation” series explores topics related to the continuing and often complicated issues of rights in the modern era, including immigration rights/reform, civil rights and individual freedom, and women’s rights and gender equality. The National Archives Foundation has created a new online portal where visitors can watch live, engage in discussions via social media and view footage after the program concludes. Learn more at https://www.archivesfoundation.org/amendingamerica/.

About the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere—past, present and future—through partnership with Native people and others. For additional information, including hours and directions, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu. Follow the museum via social media on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of the government, so people can discover, use and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education and facilitates historical understanding of the national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers and Presidential Libraries, and on the internet at www.archives.gov.

About the National Archives Foundation

The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of the country’s heritage, and encourages citizen engagement in democracy. The foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world. Learn more at www.archivesfoundation.org.

About the National Archives at New York City

The National Archives at New York City maintains the historically significant records of federal agencies and courts in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, dating from 1685 to the present. It also holds select microfilm publications of the National Archives and provides access to a variety of online historical resources. Since 2012, NARA NYC has been headquartered at the historic, 107-year-old Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, which is a designated National Historic Landmark and also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. For more information about the National Archives at New York City, visit www.archives.gov/nyc.

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