The National Archives celebrates the opening of its new exhibition exploring the role of sports in the creation, dissemination and promotion of American identity, All American: The Power of Sports, with a series of exciting public programs in September and October.
Programs are free and open to the public and will be held at the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, and streamed online unless otherwise noted. Participants must use the special events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW. Metro accessible on yellow and green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.
Related Exhibition: All American: The Power of Sports
The power of sports has many applications. Sports bring people together, teach values and inspire hope and pride. In the United States, sports have fueled efforts to unite citizens, shape them, and project a vision of what it means to be American. But sports also give athletes power – power to break down social barriers and protest injustice. All American explores the power of sports both to embody our national ideals and to challenge us to live up to them.
All American is free and open to the public and is on view at the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., until January 7, 2024. This 3,000-square-foot exhibit features over 75 items including original records. , artifacts and photographs. Highlights include original sports equipment and jerseys given by athletes to presidents, early 20th century tobacco baseball cards, trophies, rare photos and footage, patents and more.
Book Talk – Major League Rebels: Baseball Battles Over Workers’ Rights and American EmpireWednesday, September 21 at 1pm. ETRegister in advance; watch it on the National Archives YouTube channel Athletes often use their platform to respond to and protest injustices, from Muhammad Ali and Colin Kaepernick to Billie Jean King and Megan Rapinoe. Compared to their peers, baseball players are often more cautious when talking about controversial issues; but throughout the history of the sport, there have been many players willing to stand up and fight for what was right. Peter Dreier, co-author of Major League Rebels, will present the story of baseball’s reformers and revolutionaries who challenged its sport and society and, in turn, helped change America. The author will discuss a little-known but important story of rebellion among professional gamers. These reformers drew inspiration from the country’s dissidents and progressive movements, speaking out and acting against abuses within their profession and their country. Major League Rebels portrays the courageous players who demanded better working conditions, fought corporate power and challenged America’s unjust wars, imperialism and foreign policies.
Panel Discussion – Sports and Women: Telling the Stories of the Quest for Equality Thursday, September 22 at 4pm. ETRegister in advance; watch it on the National Archives YouTube channel Sports give us a window into our social struggles towards equality. These storytellers share personal experiences as pioneering writers and filmmakers in breaking down barriers for women in sport. Melissa Ludtke, former baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated and the woman who took Major League Baseball to court to ensure equal access for women writers to interview baseball players in the locker room, moderates a conversation with Claire Smith, director of the Claire Smith Center for Sports Media and the first/only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; Iliana Limon Romero, assistant managing editor for sports at the Los Angeles Times, president of the Association for Women in Sports Media and co-chair of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Sports Task Force; and Carrie Stett, writer and director of the TBS feature film Title IX: 37 Words that Changed America and First Down, an award-winning documentary about the underdog team in the women’s premier football league. Panelists will speak about the challenging issues still at play as women compete at the highest levels of athletic performance with increasing visibility and financial support – although large gender differences still exist.
Documentary Exhibition & Panel Discussion – 37 Words Tuesday, September 27 at 7pm. ETRegister in advance to participate; watch the panel discussion on the National YouTube Archive channel In partnership with ESPN, we present the screening of the first episode of the documentary 37 Words, which tells the inspiring story of Title IX – the uphill battle to promote equal rights in education and athletics; the decades of effort to nullify its impact; and the rippling impacts of historic civil rights law that continue to resonate today. Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Donna De Verona will speak.
(Virtual Only) Book Talk – Fierce and Fearless: Patsy Takemoto Mink, First Woman of Color in Congress Thursday, October 6 at 1 pm. ET
