Philadelphia’s constellation in women’s history is shining with stars whose inspiring stories are untold and unheralded. And these women mean (and meant) business! These events spotlight the contributions of empowering heroines of the past — trailblazing the road for entrepreneurs of the present, who continue to make their mark, especially during the challenges of the pandemic. They boldly are lifting the torch for independence and equality. Remember to contact activity organizers in advance to learn about their in-person pandemic protocols.
The Fight for the Right to Vote
Through March 31, 2022. Check out nearly 100 artifacts in a 3,000-square foot exhibit, The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote, featuring the women’s suffrage movement. It includes a speech given by African American suffragist Mary Ann Shadd Cary before the House Judiciary Committee, a ballot box used to collect women’s votes in the late 1800s, and Pennsylvania’s ratification copy of the 19th Amendment. View The 19th Amendment: Women Fight for Rights (1848-1877) online through Google Arts and Culture. The online exhibit mirrors the first section of The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote. See how the early women’s movement formed, and later was divided over race post-Civil War. Follow the movement through the Reconstruction era, as women employed new strategies to secure the ballot.
View Wednesdays to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In-person tickets are $10(adults), $7.50(kids 6-18) & free for kids up to age 5). Free admission for all on Wawa Community Day Honoring Women’s History Month, Saturday, March 26. 215-409-6600, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.
The President’s House (Image Source: RevolutionaryPA.com via Wikipedia )
Determined to Judge Her Own Free Destiny
First Ladies Martha Washington and Abigail Adams lived there, but the full story of the President’s House and its female inhabitants can be told through the journey of Ona Judge back in the 1790s. Born into slavery at Mount Vernon, Judge was picked by Mrs. Washington as her personal slave. After Judge came to Philadelphia with the family, the city’s free Black community helped her escape from the President’s House to freedom. She later married and had children while living in New England, as pursuits to recapture her failed. Just yards away from the home of the Liberty Bell is a historical monument-style display about those who were enslaved in the President’s House. The National Park Service website has a one-minute podcast of the site narrated by a park ranger. The website states: “The house stood in the shadow of Independence Hall, where the words “All men are created equal” and “We the People” were adopted, but they did not apply to all who lived in the new United States of America.” The President’s House, 6th & Market streets, at the outside entrance of the Liberty Bell Center on Independence Mall. Free. 215-965-2305, nps.gov
Museum of inspiration
In Historic Germantown, The Colored Girls Museum, which reopened this month, explores the daily lives of African-American women through lively exhibitions and art installations. Schedule your visit and tours to the museum’s popular One Room Schoolhouse exhibit in advance. Tickets, $20, (students and seniors, $10), Saturdays & Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. The Colored Girls Museum, 4613 Newhall St., 267-630-4438, thecoloredgirlsmuseum.com
Dreams of Freedom art exhibit at City Hall
Through March 31, 2022. City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy presents Dreams of Freedom: The Threads That Hold Us Together, a multi-media exhibition organized by the Sankofa Artisans Guild (SAG), with contributions from the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University Libraries, and the Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery. The exhibit features work by 30 female artists inspired by Harriet Tubman — a formerly enslaved Underground Railroad conductor, abolitionist, Civil War hero, humanitarian and women suffragist. The exhibit is part of the 200th anniversary citywide celebration of Tubman’s life and is presented in hallway display cases. Visitors must wear masks and sign in at the northeast corner visitor’s entrance at City Hall. Free, 9 a.m. to 4 pm., Philadelphia City Hall, Broad and Market streets. Second floor across from Mayor’s Office, Third and Fourth floors, northeast hallway. 215-686-8446. Creativephl.org
Speed shopping to support Black businesses
March 26, 2022. In response to the loss (40 percent, event organizers say) of Black women-owned businesses related to the pandemic in the U.S., the Sisterhood Sit In trolley tour was born in the spirit of sisterly support to assist the shops and restaurants owned by Philly’s entrepreneurs of color. This is the tour’s final Saturday. By trolley, visit five businesses — starting at Harriett’s Bookshop, and then onto Franny Lou’s Porch, Freedom Apothecary, Marsh & Mane and Yowie for 15-minute shopping sprees at each spot. Noon to 2 p.m. Harriett’s Bookshop, 258 E. Girard Avenue, 267-241-2617, oursisterbookshops.com
(Blew Kind, Franny Lou’s Porch Photo by Jeff Fusco, for Visit Philadelphia)
Promoting and celebrating female foodies
Female entrepreneurs are part of the backbone of the ever-evolving Philly-area food scene. Check out many of the nation’s most talented business owners in the food industry such as Blew Kind of Franny’s Lou’s Porch, a café and community gathering space in Kensington. The coffee shop was named after civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Check out the online guide, Women-led Kitchens and Restaurants in Philadelphia, championing sustainability, community impact and quality dining experiences. Various locations. visitphilly.com
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Business advice from the pros
Want tips to guide your career or company or business? Check out Philadelphia Magazine’s Women’s History Month advice from some of the area’s top female power brokers. Seasoned business leaders offer insight on asking for feedback, taking risks and networking. Here’s a morsel of their sage wisdom: “Learn from more experienced women professionals, and be mentored and coached by them. Never forget that resources are in your relationships,” advises Patricia Claybrook, president and CEO of Jidan Cleaning LLC. The online article is “12 Powerful Philly Women Share Their Best Career Advice” in the BizPhilly section (from a few years ago, but still relevant): phillymag.com
