aboutEx.png
 

The Million Woman March Exhibition (MWM) serves as both a retrospective and a celebration of the organizing efforts and missions of the seminal 1997 March for Black Women held in Philadelphia. In partnership with— and on the grounds of— the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum, the show transforms a shipping container into an immersive sensory experience by juxtaposing archival audio-visual materials and historical artifacts with new and recent works by contemporary artists. MWM aims to create a living platform for the legacy of the march by continuing to advance intersectional empowerment for generations to come. 

Oral histories from original march organizers and participants provide a foundational soundtrack for moving through the exhibition, while local contemporary artists Katelyn Brown, Latoya Hobbs, Aiesha Myles, and Asrianna Simmons-El visualize personal expressions of Black Womanhood today. Looking into the future, fiber flags created by students from Western High School and curator Imani Haynes address the current issues that may impact the future of Black Womanhood. As curator Imani Haynes states: “These three notions of time bridge the stories of the past, make connections to the present and seek expression from the future generation of women by creating a space for intergenerational dialogue.”

MWM injects itself into the conversation of present-day Feminism, foregrounding the voices of Black women as integral to American society. The exhibition is driven by the lack of academic scholarship on the 1997 Million Woman March and the erasure of the vital role of Black Women in advancing women's rights.