NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Throughout March, The National WWII Museum celebrates Women’s History Month by honoring the pivotal role of women and their contribution to American victory in World War II through a schedule of free educational programs, original articles and additional online content. By the end of World War II, more than 19 million women were in the workforce and 350,000 women had served in the US Armed Forces.
The Museum’s virtual and in-person programs will feature discussions and lectures by leading scholars, educators and authors as well as live performances. Highlighting the month is a public event commemorating National Rosie the Riveter Day with a panel of local, modern-day trailblazers discussing their experiences in the workforce.
Virtual programs will be broadcast live and also available for on-demand viewing on the Museum’s YouTube channel.
To learn more and to register for the events below, visit www.nationalww2museum.org.
Wednesday, March 9 at 11:00 a.m.
This is a free, in-person and virtual event.
Many may know Martha Gellhorn as one of the wives of fellow journalist and literary giant, Ernest Hemingway. However, she was so much more. Although just a budding journalist during the Spanish Civil War, Gellhorn would later witness and cover many of pivotal moments of World War II and the rest of the 20th century. During this Lunchbox Lecture led by Maggie Hartley, the Museum’s Director of Public Engagement, learn more about how, despite the many challenges in her path throughout the war, Gellhorn was able to find her way onto the beaches of Normandy, meet with Chiang Kai-shek and Mao during a visit to China, witness the liberation of Dachau and much more. This program is proudly sponsored by AARP Louisiana.
Friday and Saturday evenings: March 18 & 19 and March 25 & 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday matinees: March 20 & 27 at 2:00 p.m.
This is a ticketed, in-person event. To purchase tickets, please click here.
Banter, jokes, jazz and blues abound when music legends Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald get together. Performed by local singers Chloe Marie Johnson and Kathleen Moore, enjoy classic hits like “Give Me the Simple Life,” “God Bless the Child,” “Stormy Weather” and more from music royalty in this live, musical performance exclusive to BB’s Stage Door Canteen!
Monday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m.
This is a free, in-person and virtual event.
The National WWII Museum will commemorate National Rosie the Riveter Day by hearing from local, modern-day trailblazers about their experiences in the workforce, with a historical overview given by Kim Guise, Senior Curator and Director of Curatorial Services. The wartime image of Rosie the Riveter—a working woman serving sleeves-up on the Home Front—has become an icon for strong women across many US industries. During World War II, millions of those “Rosies” blazed a path by taking factory jobs traditionally occupied by men. More than 80 years later, women are now leaders in industries and fields that were only dreamed of before and during World War II.
Tuesday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m.
This is a free, virtual event.
The Museum will feature author Raquel Ramsey and Toni Kiser, the Museum’s Senior Registrar and Director of Collections Management, as they discuss a pioneer in American aviation, Nadine Ramsey.
Taking Flight: The Nadine Ramsey Story is a profile in courage of a woman who helped clear the flight path for today’s female combat and commercial aviators. Nadine’s inspiring story is of a girl from Depression-era Kansas who overcame tremendous challenges and defied convention to become an elite pilot—one of the few American women to fly fighter aircraft during World War II. Becoming one of 1,102 women to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) and one of only 303 WASPs to take to the skies in military cockpits, Nadine transported aircraft to bases across the nation for use in the theaters of war. Disbanded in late 1944 to make way for male pilots and barred from piloting for commercial airlines, the WASPs spent the next three decades fighting to win veteran status.
Raquel Ramsey, a retired teacher, is the widow of Nadine Ramsey’s brother, Col. Edwin P. Ramsey, a decorated WWII veteran, and the executive producer of his documentary, Never Surrender: The Ed Ramsey Story.
Thursday, March 31 at 12:00 p.m.
This is a free, virtual event.
Lee Miller was an American photographer known for her work, both on the Home Front and the battlefield, during World War II. Miller captured photos showcasing different aspects of the war, including women contributing to the war effort, France after liberation and the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Dachau. The National WWII Museum is proud to host this program for K-12 students in collaboration with the Lee Miller Archives as Ami Bouhassane, Co-Director of the Lee Miller Archives and granddaughter of Lee Miller, leads this webinar exploring Miller’s work.
Per City of New Orleans requirements, proof of COVID-19 vaccination (two doses of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) or a negative COVID-19 PCR/antigen test (taken with 72 hours) is required for entry to all events (applicable to all guests 5 years of age and older) as well as the Museum’s food and beverage outlets (including American Sector Restaurant & Bar and Jeri Nims Soda Shop), BB’s Stage Door Canteen shows, private rentals, and indoor public events. For more information, please visit nationalww2museum.org/know-before-you-go.
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, the institution celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front. For more information on TripAdvisor’s #1 New Orleans attraction, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit nationalww2museum.org.
