NATIONAL ICONIC LEADERS CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF FREEDOM’S SISTERS AT THE SHABAZZ CENTER IN NEW YORK
- Freedom’s Sisters is an interactive exhibition honoring 20 African-American women who have worked for freedom and equality inAmerica.
- New Yorkis the final stop of the four year tour.
- Opening to feature poet Sonia Sanchez and civil rights icon Myrlie Evers-Williams from the Freedom’s Sisters national exhibition and others.
DEARBORN, MICH., January 26, 2012 — Ford Motor Company and The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center (The Shabazz Center) will launch the Freedom’s Sisters National Exhibition on Thursday, February 2 with an invitation only reception at the Shabazz Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A press conference and special media exhibit preview will be held earlier on Thursday starting at 2PM.
The exhibition is an extraordinary multi-media and interactive presentation celebrating the lives and contributions of 20 exceptional African American women of the late 19th and 20th centuries and, their contributions to the cause of Civil and Human Rights in the United States of America. Dr. Betty Shabazz is one of the 20 women featured in the exhibition.
“It is our great privilege to bring the exhibition to the Shabazz Center. The women honored in Freedom's Sisters are an inspiration to people of all ages and backgrounds" said Pamela Alexander, director, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "Through this collaboration we celebrate the accomplishments of an outstanding group of women who profoundly impacted our country and our world.”
The Freedom's Sisters national exhibit features 20 African-America women ranging from key 19th century historical figures like Ida B. Wells to contemporary leaders such as poet and activist and Harlem native Sonia Sanchez. Their stories of courage, commitment and struggle in the name of freedom helped shape the spirit and substance of civil rights in America.
Activities for the exhibition will begin Thursday, Feb. 2 with a press preview starting at 2PM featuring Freedom's Sisters honorees prior to a private reception for the Freedom's Sisters Committee of Honor and other dignitaries that evening. Honored guests will include national Freedom's Sisters Dr. Sonia Sanchez and Myrlie Evers-Williams, who are featured as part of the exhibition and The Insider’s Kevin Frazier who will emcee the evening’s event.
“The Shabazz Center is extremely honored to host this powerful exhibition”, said Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Zead Ramadan. “The life stories of these extraordinary women embody and exemplify the struggle for civil and human rights in late 19th and 20th century. These stories will come to life anew for people of all ages when visiting The Center early in 2012.”
A prestigious National Committee of Honor has embraced the exhibition. Members of the Freedom's Sisters Committee of Honor include Marc Morial, Hazel Dukes, Quincy Jones, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, General Colin Powell, Patti LaBelle, Roslyn Brock and a wide range of national dignitaries, reflecting the exhibition's broad appeal.
“These 20 women left not a footnote but a footprint on American history,” said Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service Director Anna R. Cohn. “Many of their stories may not be well
known, but their roles and contributions were monumental in shaping our country and its conscience.”
Freedom's Sisters was created by Cincinnati Museum Center and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The national tour is made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund. The exhibition will remain at the Shabazz Center through April 22, 2012 which is located at 3940 Broadway, New York, NY 10032. For more information on the Freedom's Sisters exhibition go to www.freedomsisters.com visit www.theshabazzcenter.net or call 212.568.1341.
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. For more than 60 years, Ford Motor Company Fund has operated with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through national programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and dealers work on projects each year that better their communities in more than 40 countries. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com
ABOUT CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is home to the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. It is a nationally recognized educational and research resource and one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest. Cincinnati Museum Center serves more than one million visitors annually, reaching out to almost 200,000 young people through hands-on exhibits and programs. As a center for the community, more than 700 events are held in the building each year. Originally built in 1933 as the Union Terminal train station, the building is a national historic landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990. For information, call (513) 287-7000 or 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.
ABOUT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TRAVELING EXHIBITION SERVICE (SITES)
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For more information, including exhibition descriptions and tour schedules, visit www.sites.si.edu.
ABOUT THE MALCOLM X & DR. BETTY SHABAZZ MEMORIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CENTER
The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center continues the work of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz through the advancement of human rights and social justice. Our goal is to empower oppressed peoples to promote greater participation in civil society and facilitate social transformation beyond tolerance to understanding between all people.
Contacts:
Xina Eiland Christin Chism Stephanie Mack
Ntouch Communications SITES MalcolmX & BettyShabazzCenter
(703) 785-4358 (202) 633-3159 (917)731.4584
xinaeiland@me.com chismc@si.edu smack@harlemseeds.org
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