Smithsonian Lecture Series: Women’s Fight for Financial Freedom
Join us for the next installment of the Smithsonian Lecture Series.
Trace the path to women’s financial freedom in the United States and how it continues to shape our world today with Smithsonian historian and curator Dr. Rachel F. Seidman.
Before the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, many women were unable to obtain credit in their own names. This landmark law, which made it illegal for banks to discriminate based on sex or marital status, fundamentally changed women’s ability to access credit and reshaped their relationship with the banking industry.
Dr. Seidman will explore this pivotal turning point and others through the Smithsonian’s “We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence” oral history project, which captures firsthand accounts from women working in finance, government, business, labor, and community organizations.
Go behind the scenes with Dr. Seidman as she shares what it was like to collect more than 30 oral histories from women who played critical roles in advancing women’s financial independence, revealing both their impact and the challenges they faced.
Presented in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this program will reveal how true independence for women has always depended on financial freedom.
Admission
Tickets are $10 for non-members and $5 for members. This is a hybrid program. Attendees can participate in-person at the Heinz History Center or online.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available upon request. Please contact us at [email protected] in advance to request accommodations.
About the Speaker
Dr. Rachel F. Seidman is curator at the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and project director of “We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence.” Previously, at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, she curated the award-winning exhibition, To Live and Breathe: Women and Environmental Justice in Washington DC.
Previously, Seidman directed the Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she also taught history. She has also taught at Duke University, Carleton College and at the University of Turku as a Fulbright Scholar in Finland. She holds a Ph.D. in history from Yale University, and a BA from Oberlin College.
She is the author of Our Story: A Guide to Recording and Sharing Your Family History (Simon and Schuster, 2026) and Speaking of Feminism: Today’s Activists on the Past, Present and Future of the U.S. Women’s Movement (UNC Press, 2019).
About the Series
The Making History, Making Change Lecture Series is organized by Smithsonian Affiliations as part of the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250. It is supported in part by the Dreier Family, Johanna and Ken Kim Family, Vaishali Shah Chadha and Family, and Michael Vu & Meridel Bulle-Vu.
As Western Pennsylvania’s only Smithsonian Affiliate, the Heinz History Center proudly brings world-class Smithsonian exhibitions, artifacts, and programs to the region. This special lecture series is part of that ongoing partnership.
America250PA
This program is part of the History Center’s year-long commemoration of the U.S. Semiquincentennial, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, in partnership with America250PA.
America250PA was established by the Pennsylvania state legislature and Governor in 2018 to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pennsylvania’s integral role in that event, and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present, and future.
Heinz History Center programs commemorating America’s 250th anniversary are supported by Nimick Forbesway Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Visit PA, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) .