After the Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame in downtown Lansing reopened Thursday, it has been closed for the past year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a water line disruption that caused flood damage to the building.
The gallery reopening coincides with Women’s Equality Day.
The day commemorates the adoption of the 19th amendment to the constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Although women of color were excluded from voting for decades.
Meaghan Bergman, program manager for Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame, said the reopening is an opportunity for the community to recognize the pay gap between men and women, especially women of color.
“Women’s resilience not only needs to be recognized and celebrated through institutions like the Hall of Fame and so on, but it should also be valued and promoted,” she added.
The gallery features profiles of more than 300 women who have been inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
Bergman said the public is invited to share a story about a woman that inspires them.
“We thought this would be a symbolic day to celebrate the reopening in honor of the resilience of this longstanding institution. As well as honoring the resilience of the women this institution honors,” she said.
The grand reopening of the gallery is planned for Thursday from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. A mask is required for those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
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