Originally featured in this article on Refinery29.
In the fights that matter, there are no sidelines.
Here at Girl Museum, we take the museum part of our job seriously, often taking our time to comment on what’s happening in the world. But we are in a world where there is no more business as usual. Museums can’t just reflect and collect, they must participate. They have always been active in culture making – often supporting unjust and racist patriarchal structures. The time has come for change. We can no longer sit on the sidelines and silently support the culture of marginalization.
Our mission is to advocate for girls—the marginalized of the marginalized. We know girls’ voices have always been a part of the struggle for civil rights. Their voices are strong and powerful, yet have often been ignored or overridden in previous iterations of civil rights movements. Change begins here.
We want to note the bravery of the girls who are protesting, who are standing up in the face of constant injustice. We especially want to acknowledge the girls who witnessed and recorded George Floyd’s murder. In spite of fear for their own personal safety, they knew it was vital to expose what they were witnessing for the cruel crime it was. These girls need our protection and support; their community is our community.
We stand for history, studying it from all angles, looking for the voices that have been dismissed and subverted so we can illuminate our present and guide us towards a more enlightened future. If we have learned anything from history, it is that peace is almost never equal or just. We support peaceful dismantling of the system and rebuilding, as perhaps the only way to bring everyone forward, towards the goal of equality.
-Ashley E. Remer
Head Girl
Girl Museum Inc.