We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC

"We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC" is the National Women's History Museum's first physical exhibition. Located inside the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., the exhibit focuses on how Black feminists defined freedom while redefining American democracy from 1890 to today. Through biographical histories and voices of unknown and under-represented Black feminist organizers and theorists, the exhibit expresses how a select group of Black women in D.C. made a difference in their communities that rippled throughout the country. The exhibition encourages visitors to learn the historical milestones established by Black women and how their legacy and leadership shaped and strengthened their communities.
Working with the Museum and historians Sherie M. Randolph and Kendra T. Field, experience design studio Tessellate created a bold and colorful exhibition system with interior nooks for contemplation. The visual design places historical imagery into a contemporary collage with a bright and illustrative style. The historical figures look and feel larger than life. Personal quotes and details of their lives create an emotional connection while amplifying the voices of these powerful women and their contributions to the still-relevant issues of feminism, politics, civil rights, and reproductive justice.
Four exhibit passageways pop with light and vibrancy, allowing visitors to traverse from one time period to another. In the introduction, a large digital interactive showcases over 20 original portraits of Black women who are significant to the movement. The subsequent sections showcase Black women's activism in the post-Emancipation and Civil Rights era who fought for equal rights through social movements, the courts, rallies, events, and publications. An audio interactive allows visitors to hear these women "In Their Own Voices" via speeches, interviews, and songs. The central, highly participatory section encourages personal exploration and is dedicated to "Black Feminism Now." A large digital interactive contains contemporary images from rallies, protests, events, and interviews from a broad group of individuals who express what Black feminism means to them. Visitors can also honor a specific woman with a personalized note on a cherry blossom petal and shape their own legacy by creating a fill-in-the-blank manifesto.