Lucia Cheng

Lucia Cheng is the Because of Her Story intern for summer 2022.

Septima Poinsette Clark by Brian Lanker, 1987

Women Who Shaped History

These Black Women Changed America

Thirty years ago, photographer Brian Lanker made indelible images of historical lives; a new exhibition says their stories have never seemed more relevant

Between March 19 and April 17, 1964, Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock (above: at the start of her journey at Ohio's Port Columbus Airport) flew her single-engine Cessna 180, dubbed "Charlie," solo around the globe setting a world record.

Women Who Shaped History

Who Was the First Woman to Fly Solo Around the World?

When the National Air and Space Museum reopens October 14, Geraldine Mock’s Cessna 180 soars in the new exhibition, "We All Fly"

Omari Maynard with Shamony Gibson, who died after giving birth in 2019

Stories From the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis

The new documentary 'Aftershock' follows two women who died from pregnancy-related complications

Edmonia Lewis circa 1870, photographed by Henry Rocher

After More Than 150 Years, Sculptor Edmonia Lewis Finally Gets Her Degree

A historian is fighting to honor the legacy of the 19th-century artist

James Joyce and Sylvia Beach at Shakespeare and Company circa 1926

Who Were the Women Behind James Joyce’s 'Ulysses'?

As the novel turns 100, two exhibitions tell the stories of the women who made it possible

The Israelite commander Barak, as depicted in the Huqoq synagogue mosaic

Cool Finds

Earliest Known Images of Two Biblical Heroines Unearthed in Israel

Found in an ancient synagogue, the 1,600-year-old mosaics tell the stories of Deborah and Jael

Diane Nash, pictured in 2011, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday, July 7.

Women Who Shaped History

Meet Diane Nash, the Civil Rights Icon Awarded the U.S.' Highest Civilian Honor

The 84-year-old activist received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her leadership during the 1960s fight against segregation

Women at Gateways with owner Ted Ware around 1953

Inside Gateways, One of the World's Longest-Surviving Lesbian Nightclubs

A new documentary tells the story of the London nightclub where lesbian women found escape and acceptance

“Music is a reflection of people's lives. It comes out of their experience,” says the folk musician Alice Gerrard, who will perform at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m.

Why Women's Music Embraces the Voices of Past Generations

New show examining the deep connections women make with musical tradition kicks off with a concert featuring folk star Alice Gerrard

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