Because of Her Story
Because of Her Story
To create a more equitable America, the Smithsonian is researching, disseminating, and amplifying the histories of American women through its American Women’s History Initiative in preparation for the future Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
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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CreditsMary Agnes Chase, honorary curator of the Grass Herbarium at the United States National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution, on an expedition to Brazil in 1929 to collect botanical specimens. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 229, Box 20, Folder 1.
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CreditsMembers of the 2021 Because of Her Story Cohort Internship celebrate the end of their internship with their mentors on Zoom.
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
Join us for online events that tell women's stories and honor their achievements in art, history, science, business, and culture.
Collections
The Smithsonian’s collections include iconic objects that tell the stories of American women, their struggles, and their accomplishments.
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"Skating in Central Park" by Agnes Tait
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Sally Ride's Ninety-Nines Pin
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Textile design painting by Pop Chalee (Taos Pueblo)
Women's History Store
Support the Smithsonian when you purchase books, puzzles, mugs, and more for your loved ones—or yourself!
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Help Amplify the Voices of American Women
Decades in the making, the Smithsonian is building an American Women’s History Museum in our nation’s capital.
