Black belt worn by Kayla Harrison during the 2012 London Olympic Games when she became the first American (male or female) to win a gold medal in the sport of judo. Harrison began her judo career at age 6 and quickly rose to the top of the junior level field winning the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Junior US Open. in 2008, she became the third American to win the Junior World Championships and in 2010 only the fourth American to win the Senior World Championship. Harrison went on to become the only American to ever win an Olympic gold medal in judo at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
The 2012 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad were held in London, England with 204 countries, 5,992 men and 4,776 women athletes participating. With the inclusion of women’s boxing, these Games became the first with female competitors in every sport and the first at which each country entered, had a female representative. Women’s boxing debuted and mixed doubles in tennis was held for the first time since the 1924 Games. American Michael Phelps won his 22nd medal making him the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. Every athlete to win a medal at these Games was drug tested and as of 2017, 31 medals had been rescinded due to doping. The United States won the medal count with 104.
The 2016 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with 207 countries and 11,238 athletes participating. These were the first Olympic Games held entirely in the host country’s winter season and the first to be held in South America. These Games were designed with sustainability in mind and many of the features of the Games were made from recyclable materials. The Refugee Olympic Team entered 10 athletes for competition made up of refugees from the European Migrant crisis. The Zika virus was a factor in competition as many athletes decided to forgo the Games for fear of catching the virus spread through mosquitos. Michael Phelps came out of retirement to compete in the Games and added more medals to his historic count. Katie Ledecky won four gold medals and teammate Simone Manual won two gold and two silver medals becoming the first African American to win an individual swimming gold medal. Simone Biles dominated gymnastics, winning four gold and the women’s team won the all-around competition. The United States won the medal count with 121.
Althea Gibson (1927-2003) used this racquet when winning the woman's singles title at Wimbeldon in 1958. Gibson was the first African-American to play in, and win, Wimbledon. She hoisted the prestigous event's silver trophy twice (1957 and 1958.) She was also the first black woman to play in the U.S. Tennis Championships (1950) to win the U.S. Open, and to complete a Grand-Slam.
Gibson also broke the color barrier in professional golf when she joined the LPGA in 1964.
Red, Nike sleeveless basketball jersey with blue trim. There is a blue "USA" applique sewn onto the front of the jersey with a white number "6" sewn directly beneath it. Appliqued in white on the back of the jersey is BIRD / 6. Size 42, length +2. This is an alternate jersey to be worn by Sue Bird during the 2012 Olympic Games. The women's basketball team won gold during the 2012 London Summer Olympic games.
The 2012 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad were held in London, England with 204 countries, 5,992 men and 4,776 women athletes participating. With the inclusion of women’s boxing, these Games became the first with female competitors in every sport and the first at which each country entered, had a female representative. Women’s boxing debuted and mixed doubles in tennis was held for the first time since the 1924 Games. American Michael Phelps won his 22nd medal making him the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. Every athlete to win a medal at these Games was drug tested and as of 2017, 31 medals had been rescinded due to doping. The United States won the medal count with 104.
A pair of woman’s size 3, synthetic-leather athletic shoes in white. On the side are ink pen inscriptions: "Te adoro" I love you, "Te extraño" I miss you, "extraño los besos" I miss your kisses. These shoes were collected in a remote part of the Sonoran Desert near the Mexican border. The past 20 years has seen a rise in unauthorized border crossing, border enforcement procedures, and debates about who and how migrants should be let into the country.
As the US federal immigration enforcement strategy known as Prevention Through Deterrence (PTD) increased the security presence around urban ports of entry in the mid-1990s, there was a shift in undocumented migration towards more remote regions of the American Southwest. Those making the perilous journey through this inhospitable desert landscape faced extreme temperatures (summer temperatures as high as 100° F/38° C and winter temperatures approaching freezing), rugged terrain, abuse from coyotes (human smugglers), and the risk of getting caught by the Border Patrol.
The site where this was found likely served as a way station used by human smugglers or a site of Border Patrol apprehension. Typical items found at these sites include personal hygiene products such as combs, backpacks, excess clothes, and empty water bottles. In preparation for the arduous journey across, migrants might purchase inexpensive sneakers like this one. They are often poorly constructed and ill-fitting and may cause discomfort and/or serious injuries along the way. Migrants often report forming severe blisters due to ill-fitting sneakers. Many times these shoes become damaged during the crossing. As seen on the shoes above, migrants will often personalize their personal items with motivational messages to help them make the journey more bearable. The inscription written in Spanish translate into “I love you, “I miss you”, and “I miss those kisses.”
This guitar was made by Candelario Delgado in Los Angeles, California, in 1967. It is a custom-made guitar is of light wood with geometric pattern around sound hole and on bridge and head. Six strings with mother of pearl tuning pegs. There is a printed label:
Candelario Delgado Fabricante de Guitarras Guitar Maker Luthier Concert Guitars Classical and Flamenco Made in U.S.A. 1066 SUNSET BLVD. - LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
(and handwritten inscription on label):
Construction Special for Jose Feliciano 1967 Candelario Delgado "CANDELAS"
Jose Feliciano played this guitar on October 7, 1968 in Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan during Game 5 of the World Series. He played a folk-inflected version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” which was immediately met with intense backlash.
Race bib worn by Amy Purdy at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games.
At 19, Amy Purdy suffered septic shock as a result of meningococcal meningitis. Due to loss of circulation, she had to have both legs amputated below the knee. Just two years later, Purdy competed in the United States of America Snowboard Association’s National Snowboarding Championship and medaled in three events. In 2005 she co-founded Adaptive Action Sports, a nonprofit organization which helps disabled athletes become involved in action sports. Purdy also helps develop her prosthetics, allowing her to perform specialized tasks with enhance agility. Purdy was the only double amputee to compete in the 2014 Paralympics Games in Sochi, where she won a bronze medal in Snowboard Cross
The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, a week after the Summer Olympics. This tradition of holding the games for athletes with disabilities after the Olympics continues today. These first games were for wheelchair users only, but in 1976 athletes with other disabilities were welcomed. In that same year adaptive athletes from the Winter Olympics were also embraced. The 1996 games in Atlanta marked a turning point as the first games to fully include the Paralympic athletes and events under the Team USA banner.
The 2014 Winter Paralympics, also known as the 11th Winter Paralympic Games were held in Sochi, Russia with 45 countries and 550 athletes participating. This was the first time Russia hosted the Paralympics with snowboarding making its debut. Five sports were featured with 72 events. American Amy Purdy won bronze in snowboard cross and the US men’s Paralympic sled hockey team beat Russia in the gold medal game 1-0. Russia topped the medal count with 80 but it was discovered that Russia’s team was supplied steroids by the state and as a result many athletes had their medals stripped.
Double breasted, red wool blazer used by a member of the Flaming Flashes, 1934. This was worn with the cream colored scarf and cream colored skirt as a part of the Flaming Flashes uniform of 1934. In 1928, Gussie Nell Davis began her career as a physical education teacher at Greenville High School in Greenville, Texas and immediately saw the need to involve girls in more physical activities. As most sports were not available to girl’s participation, Davis created a pep squad which performed at football games. This evolved into the first high school precision dance and drill team that included dancing and twirling drills and often accompanied by the Greenville band. Davis would move on to Kilgore College where she created another drill team known as the Kilgore Rangerettes, a world renown team that still performs today.
Pep squads were prevalent at high schools and colleges throughout the United States in the early 1900s but it was not until Gussie Nell Davis created the Flaming Flashes that the precision drill team really took hold. Just like pep squads, drill teams were created to promote school spirit and entertain the school and community but drill teams went a step further thanks to Davis’ insight. Seeing the need for girls to build self-confidence and a stronger self-esteem, Davis began teaching dance steps and twirling routines. This not only improved the girl’s physical coordination, it also provided a sense of belonging and community that was lacking, as most team sports were not available to girls. Drill teams are seen primarily in high schools and colleges and perform dance routines in unison, often set to pre-recorded or live music at games or other community events. They differ from cheerleading as they do not cheer or perform jumps and other more athletic stunts. Until Title IX, these precision drill team squads were among the few physical activities available at the high school and collegiate levels that provided opportunities for women.
Padded skate shorts worn by professional female skateboarder, Cindy Whitehead while a member of the Sims skateboard team in the late 1970s and early 1980s. There is a snap waist and the user had to take the waist in with fabric darts as these were originally shorts for boys. In the early 1980s, skate clothing was not available for women so the few female pro skaters had to modify mens or boys clothing to fit. Cindy Whitehead was quite a bit smaller than the boy skaters and therefore had to adapt the boys clothes to fit her body. Whitehead was one of the few female vert skaters of the day and was the only woman on the Sims team at the time.
Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a centerfold in a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, a job title she also created. Whitehead is especially supportive of young female skaters through her “Girl Is Not A 4 Letter Word” skate team and her products which are geared towards women and girls. Whitehead’s signature phrase printed in gold on many of the “Girl Is Not A 4 Letter Word” products personifies her independent spirit, "Live life balls to the wall. Do epic shit. Take every dare that comes your way. You can sleep when you’re dead."
Description
Since the 1960s, girls have embraced skateboarding to showcase athleticism, freedom of movement, and daring behavior that has earned them accolades. They fashioned unique clothing styles and asserted their self-empowerment in a male-dominated sport. Cindy Whitehead, one of the few female vert skaters of the day and the only woman on the Sims skateboard team, wore this uniform in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Whitehead turned pro at 16 and was the only girl ever to be featured in a two-page article with a centerfold in a skateboarding magazine until recently.
The mesh jersey was modeled after motocross jerseys and, although it was hot to wear in the California sun, the heavier material afforded some protection from scrapes and road rash due to falls. The shorts have a slightly scalloped hemline for ease of movement and a snap and zipper front closure because they were a “boys’ product.” Skate clothing was not specifically made for girls or women until the 1990s, and the few female pro skaters often had to modify men’s or boy’s clothing to fit their bodies. Whitehead added darts to the back waistband with a needle and thread to make the shorts fit her small waist.
Whitehead retired from skateboarding in 1984 at the age of 22 but has remained active in the sport with her 'Girl Is Not A 4 Letter Word' brand and clothing line that meets the demands of a rise in female participation in skateboarding.
"Champions" jersey is white with short sleeves with red and blue trim and patches on the sleeves and silly string remnants throughout. The number "5" is in blue on the front and the number "19" is in blue on the back of the jersey. This was worn by defender Kelley O'Hara for the gold medal ceremony immediately following the 2019 U.S. Women's National Soccer Team World Cup Final victory in Paris, France. The jersey is not a match-quality uniform but a replica, with "Champions" printed on the upper back where players' last names normally are printed. It is stained from alcohol and silly string sprayed during the ensuing locker-room celebration, from which videos were posted and went viral online.
O'Hara was wearing the jersey when she kissed her girlfriend in celebration after the match. The kiss went viral, as O'Hara was not among the team's openly queer players. In several interviews (including with the curator who acquired the jersey), O'Hara explicitly stated that the kiss was not planned and that she hoped it reflected a new era when queer people didn't have to announce "coming out" but rather could simply express their love spontaneously like heterosexual people.
Panamanian American relief pitcher Mariano Rivera played 17 seasons for the New York Yankees (1995-2013.) The right hander set the Major League record for career saves with 652 and was the first player to be unanimously elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (2019.)
A 13-time All-Star selection, Rivera won five World Series championships in New York (1996, 1998-2000,2009), being named the series Most Valuable Player in 1999. Leading the Majors in saves three times, Rivera finished his career with a lifetime 82-60 win-loss record, a 2.21 earned run average and 1,173 strike outs.
The glove's inscription reflects Rivera's Christian faith. Known for his humanitarian efforts, Rivera was the recipient of the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award in 2013 and the ROBIE Humanitarian Award in 2014. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.
In agriculture, girls still work long hours around dangerous chemicals and are unprotected by child labor laws. These are not small family farms—this is agribusiness.
Federal laws passed in 1938 helped protect children under 16. But agriculture was exempt from this legislation, allowing children to continue working in fields across America.
Monica Camacho wore protective clothing to shield her from chemicals used in the field.
"It was just super hot because we had to wear . . . protective clothes like sweaters so the chemicals or the sun doesn't hit you." —Monica Camacho, 2018
In agriculture, girls still work long hours around dangerous chemicals and are unprotected by child labor laws. These are not small family farms—this is agribusiness.
Federal laws passed in 1938 helped protect children under 16. But agriculture was exempt from this legislation, allowing children to continue working in fields across America.
Monica Camacho wore protective clothing to shield her from chemicals used in the field.
"It was just super hot because we had to wear . . . protective clothes like sweaters so the chemicals or the sun doesn't hit you." —Monica Camacho, 2018
Cream colored wool skirt with a back zipper used by the Flaming Flashes, 1934. This was worn with the red blazer, cream colored scarf and white leather boots as a part of the Flaming Flashes uniform of 1934. In 1928, Gussie Nell Davis began her career as a physical education teacher at Greenville High School in Greenville, Texas and immediately saw the need to involve girls in more physical activities. As most sports were not available to girl’s participation, Davis created a pep squad which performed at football games. This evolved into the first high school precision dance and drill team that included dancing and twirling drills and often accompanied by the Greenville band. Davis would move on to Kilgore College where she created another drill team known as the Kilgore Rangerettes, a world renown team that still performs today.
Pep squads were prevalent at high schools and colleges throughout the United States in the early 1900s but it was not until Gussie Nell Davis created the Flaming Flashes that the precision drill team really took hold. Just like pep squads, drill teams were created to promote school spirit and entertain the school and community but drill teams went a step further thanks to Davis’ insight. Seeing the need for girls to build self-confidence and a stronger self-esteem, Davis began teaching dance steps and twirling routines. This not only improved the girl’s physical coordination, it also provided a sense of belonging and community that was lacking, as most team sports were not available to girls. Drill teams are seen primarily in high schools and colleges and perform dance routines in unison, often set to pre-recorded or live music at games or other community events. They differ from cheerleading as they do not cheer or perform jumps and other more athletic stunts. Until Title IX, these precision drill team squads were among the few physical activities available at the high school and collegiate levels that provided opportunities for women.
Sarah Leavitt’s Bat Mitzvah, Madison, Wisconsin, 1983
Religious communities have long played a role in defining the transition from girlhood to womanhood with rites of passage. Yet, girls take on these traditions and remake them in different ways.
In the synagogue, a thirteen-year-old boy becomes a man at his Bar Mitzvah. But no comparable ceremony sanctified girls’ coming of age until 1922, when a New York rabbi invented Bat Mitzvah for his daughter. By the late 1900s, Jewish girls had claimed the millennia-old ritual known as the Bar Mitzvah for themselves.
Sarah Leavitt grew up in Madison, where she celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Beth El. Both the boys and girls in her class took on the responsibilities of being a Jewish adult at age 13. However, the girls did not wear the traditional prayer shawl (tallit) or head covering, (yarmulke) that were still, then, only worn by the boys.
Bat Mitzvah’s often meant a new dress and a party. Reminiscent of Victorian romance, this Gunne Sax dress was all the rage in the early 1980s.