The National Park Foundation Will Spend Nearly $500,000 to Elevate the Stories of Pioneering Women Throughout History

Last week, the National Park Foundation (NPF) announced funding of an initiative that will make stories about pioneering women, including Black women, Indigenous women, and all women of color, more visible than ever. Through their Women in Parks program, a $460,000 grant has been set aside to meet that goal at NPF sites throughout the country.

At the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C., both a historic 200-year-old house and hundreds of objects will be preserved to honor the suffrage movement. In Birmingham, Alabama, the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument will be home to materials about civil rights activist Carrie A. Tuggle. At Harpers Ferry Center for Media Services in West Virginia, visitors will be able to see the evolution of National Park Service uniforms for women and how women's roles in the park service have evolved over time. And at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Georgia, visitors will be able to explore the life and work of Coretta Scott King, a leader of the civil rights movement along with her husband.

In a statement, the NPF said the decision came after a survey indicated that respondents believed women’s history was being underserved and that they’d like to learn more. The NPF plans to fund a total of 23 sites devoted to women’s history and activism, with a variety of exhibits, guided walks, and more. If you'd like to add to their existing funds, you can donate to the project here.