Because of Her Story
Because of Her Story
To create a more equitable and just American society, the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative will create, disseminate, and amplify the historical record of the accomplishments of American women.
Joan Trumpauer
I WAS put on death row at age 19 in Mississippi along with other Freedom Riders. The idea was to intimidate us because Parchman Penitentiary was a notorious, awful prison.
I had been taught to do unto others as I would have them do unto me and that all people were created equal. Segregation was wrong and I had to do something about it. I had protested in many sit-ins and picket lines before the Freedom Rides. The most violent protest was at the Jackson Woolworth lunch counter, which galvanized Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington.
Joan Trumpauer’s mug shot and ticket stub to Alabama are at the Smithsonian. They will be used to tell her story and other women’s stories of courage and fighting for your beliefs.
Credits
Photo: Joan Trumpauer, mug shot taken by the City of Jackson (MS) Police Department, 1961
Content: An Ordinary Hero: The True Story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, documentary, 2013; John Dittmer interview with Joan Trumpauer, Library of Congress, 2017
News
Read about the Smithsonian's latest scholarship on women's history, get inspired with stories from our collections, and see other updates.
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CreditsAnya Montiel, curator of American and Native American women’s art and craft at Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. Photo by Jim Fidelibus.
Discover Her Story
In these themes you will find stories and objects from women who have shaped America as we know it through their work, creativity, and resolve.
Events
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Collections
The Smithsonian’s collections include iconic objects that tell the stories of American women, their struggles, and their accomplishments.
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Ms. Vol 1, No. 1
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International Sweethearts of Rhythm
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Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997)
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