Entertainment
Representation matters. What we see on the screen, on the stage, and in the recording studio shapes our understanding of the world and what is possible. The trailblazing female entertainers featured in the Smithsonian’s collection shattered stereotypes and gender norms to redefine who could be an entertainer in America. Many entertainers gained celebrity through entertainment and used that celebrity to actively change society.
Collection Objects
Learn the stories behind these featured objects or explore more entertaining women in the collections.
Videos
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Hazel Dickens became an accomplished bluegrass performer at a time when the genre was dominated by men. She was also an admired advocate for women's and worker's rights. Along with fellow musician and friend Alice Gerrard, she empowered countless female singers and musicians to succeed without sacrificing integrity. In this performance, Dickens, herself the eighth of eleven children born to a West Virginia mining family, pays homage to her home state.
Playlist

Smithsonian American Women
