THIS ITEM ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES TRAVEL SECTION ON FEB. 25, 2018
It’s always worth celebrating National Women’s History Month, which comes every March. Given the tenor of the times and a certain five letter hashtag that’s been circulating on social media, it’s the perfect time to venture out and visit places that celebrate women’s issues and pay homage to great women.
You may know about the Susan B. Anthony House in upstate New York, which honors this remarkable leader who pushed for women’s voting rights and other causes. Here are a few other great – and some unusual – places in the U.S. to celebrate the accomplishments of women.
CANTON, OHIO: Someday there may be a national monument to women presidents of the U.S. In the meantime, there’s a national historic site in Canton that celebrates American First Ladies. You can read about such notable first ladies as Martha Washington, Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama. There’s also some fun bits from lesser-known first ladies. Speaking of her husband, president Warren Harding, first lady Florence Harding once said, “I put him in the White House. He does well when he listens to me and poorly when he does not.” http://www.firstladies.org/
The Rosie the Riveter National Historic Site in Richmond, California.
ROSIE THE RIVETER, RICHMOND, CALIF. – Rosie The Riveter WWII Home Front is a National Historic Park on the shores of San Francisco Bay, a few miles north of Oakland. You’ll find exhibits detailing how 100,000 American women entered the job force during the second world war. “Rosie The Riveter” became a symbol of women working long, arduous hours to support the war effort on what’s called “the home front.” Women in crowded factories had serious issues with health care and child care and faced incredibly dangerous conditions. The website for the park, in fact, claims that between the bombing of Pearl Harbor in late 1941 up to the D-Day Invasion in 1944, more people were killed in home front industrial accidents than in military combat. https://www.nps.gov/rori/index.htm
SACKLER CENTER, BROOKLYN: The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center is located inside the Brooklyn Museum and is dedicated to displaying explicitly feminist art. They also host the annual Sackler Center First Awards for women who are leading the way in various fields of endeavor. Previous winners include Sandra Day O’Connor (see below item on Fort Worth), Connie Chung, Toni Morrison and Miss Piggy. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa
LORTON, VIRGINIA: American women who picketed the White House in 1917 to demand that women be allowed to vote were sent to Occoquan Workhouse in Lorton, Va. and treated with an utterly astounding level of violence. Detainees were choked, beaten and kicked. One woman was chained naked to a set of prison bars over night. It’s a horrifying, remarkable story that few Americans seem to know about but definitely should. Turning Point Plaza at Occoquan Regional Park honors the work of the women sent here. https://www.novaparks.com/parks/occoquan-regional-park/things-to-do/turning-point-plaza
The National Cowgirl Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS: For something completely different, deep in the heart of cowboy country is the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. There are wonderfully rich stories of professional women bull riders and barrel racers. One of the displays tells the story of Sandra Day O’Connor and is called “The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice.” Country singer Reba McEntire was a 2017 honoree. Another honoree is Frances Rosenthal Kallison, who co-founded the Texas Jewish Historical Society. http://www.cowgirl.net/
CLEVELAND: This Midwest state weighs in with another special spot that celebrates women: The International Women’s Air and Space Museum. You’ll find marvellous exhibits on the WASPs (Women’s Air Service Pilots), a group of women pilots formed in WW II to do jobs that freed up male pilots for combat missions. There are fabulous old photos and stories about Amelia Earhart and also WASP members such as Marilyn “Mitzie” Miller Saunders, who received her pilot’s license at age 16. Fellow WASP Margaret “Maggie” Ray Ringenberg flew more than 40,000 hours and circled the word twice. http://iwasm.org/wp-blog/
Iolani Palace in Honolulu.
IOLANI PALACE, HONOLULU: While not dedicated solely to women, the former Hawaiian royal palace is where Hawaiian Queen Lili’uokalani was kept under house arrest when the Americans pushed the royal family aside in the 1890s and declared the islands U.S. territory. There are plenty of men represented in the stories told at the palace, but Lili’uokalani and other powerful Hawaiian women also play prominent roles in the displays. Cool fact: Lili’uokalani was a multi-talented woman who wrote the achingly beautiful song Aloha Oe. http://www.iolanipalace.org/
WASHINGTON DC AREA: The National Museum of Women in the Arts in DC has what’s said to be the world’s most important collection of art by women. The museum’s website states that 51 per cent of visual art is created by women but that only five per cent of the art displayed in museums is made by women. https://nmwa.org/ The Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It bills itself as “the only major national memorial honoring all women who have defended America throughout history.” https://www.womensmemorial.org/ The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality Monument in central DC was designated a national monument in 2016. It was home to the National Woman’s Party for nearly 90 years and was “the epicenter of the struggle for women’s rights.” https://www.nps.gov/bepa/index.htm
LOS ANGELES: The old Hotel Figueroa (just north of Olympic Boulevard) began taking reservations earlier this moth. It was built by the YWCA in 1926 as a safe haven for women and hosted women’s events and women’s artists over the years. It became a Moroccan-themed place in the 70s but has been restored to Spanish Colonial style, with sleek bars and stylish rooms. http://hotelfigueroa.com/ Also, the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival runs Mar. 23-26 at LA Live Regal Cinemas. http://www.lawomensfest.com/
