Entertainment

Representation matters. Who we see on screen and on stage, and who we hear on recordings, shapes our understanding of the world. Trailblazing women entertainers, including musicians, dancers, comedians, actors, and other performers, shattered stereotypes and gender norms to redefine who could tell stories in America. Many entertainers used their celebrity to actively change society.

Draped sumptuous pink fabric frames rows of black-and-white photos and an arrangement of found objects including a fan, bracelets, painted fruit, dried flowers, and lace, all set in a niche. Read the Story Behind This Object A Latina Star and Hollywood Success

Celia Cruz celebrated her Cuban American identity as one of the first women salsa singers. Mincy, a student, speaks with Ariana A. Curtis, curator at our National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Collection Objects

Learn the stories behind these featured objects or explore more entertaining women in the collections.

Anna May Wong poses, holding a fan behind her head. She wears a yellow dress with dragons emblazoned on it.
Collection Item
Anna May Wong
A sectional leather couch or sofa, used by Oprah Winfrey and her guests
Couch from the Set of The Oprah Winfrey Show
An African American woman looks out of frame. Next to her the title of the play is written in cursive rainbow letters: for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf
Collection Item
for colored girls Playbill Art, 1977
Jean Ritchie sits in a field, holding a plucked dulcimer. She stares off into the distance, thoughtful.
Collection Item
Jean Ritchie
Madame Lillian Evanti wears a fur stole, pearls, and a flower in her carefully prepared hair.
Collection Item
Madame Lillian Evanti
Miss America Crown from 1951 - a tiara with many uncolored gemstones.
Collection Item
Yolande Betbeze's Miss America Crown

Conversation Kit

Let's Talk! Dolores del Río Conversation Kit

Grades 6–12. Time: Variable (1–3 class periods). Aligned to CCSS and C3 standards.

In this lesson plan, students will learn how the legacy of Dolores del Río, the first major Latinx actress in Hollywood, can help us reflect on how various cultures affect our identity.

Playlist

Women and Folk

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Gender discrimination and segregation has often posed a considerable barrier for women musicians, but women have overcome these obstacles either via direct protest or by simply performing certain instruments or songs. In addition, the topic matter of the music has also been used to further women's rights and other political and social causes. When women in the United States earned the right to vote in 1920, the lyrics of traditional hymns and patriotic anthems were changed to assert their demands for suffrage. Listen to a small sample of Smithsonian Folkways folk music created by and about these brave and daring women.

Smithsonian American Women book cover.

Smithsonian American Women

Remarkable objects and stories of strength, ingenuity, and vision from the National Collection.

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