After being closed for the last year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a water main break that caused flooding damage in the building, the Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame in downtown Lansing is reopening Thursday.
The reopening of the gallery coincides with Women’s Equality Day.
The day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Though women of color continued to be excluded from voting for decades.
Meaghan Bergman, program manager for the Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame, said the reopening is an opportunity for the community to acknowledge the wage disparity between men and women, especially women of color.
“The resiliency of women is not just something to be honored and celebrated through institutions, like the Hall of Fame and whatnot, but it should be valued and resourced," 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 bring a story of a woman who inspires them.
"We thought that would be a symbolic day to hold the reopening in honor of the resiliency of this long standing institution. As well as in honor of the resiliency of the women this institution honors," she said.
The grand reopening of the gallery is set for 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Masks will be required for those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
