May 4 Program Explores Girl Power: Inspiring the Next Generation of Women Athletes
Press Release · Thursday, April 27, 2023

Washington, DC

On Thursday. May 4, at 5 p.m. ET, the National Archives presents an evening with accomplished female athletes featuring softball player Monica Abbott, former WNBA basketball player Bethany Donaphin, and Olympic alpine skier Patricia Mangan. The discussion will be moderated by broadcaster Natalie Kalibat, and opening remarks will be provided by Play Like a Girl Founder and CEO Dr. Kimberly Clay. Clay also serves on the National Archives Foundation's Honorary Committee for the National Archives’ current exhibit All American: The Power of Sports. 

The program is free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW. Metro accessible on the Green line, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.  

Panel Discussion – Girl Power: Inspiring the Next Generation of Women Athletes
Thursday. May 4, at 5 p.m. ET
Register to attend in person or online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel.
Join us for an evening of pure inspiration as we talk all things girl power and sports. A panel of accomplished women in sports will recount their career journeys and how they tackled the belief that “girls can’t do that,” inspiring girls to pursue their dreams by trusting their inner voice and never settling for “no.” These four remarkable athletes will share how a background in sports led them to success—on and off the field of play. 

This program is hosted in partnership with Play Like a Girl, a national nonprofit organization that leverages the skills girls gain from sport to help prepare them for competitive, male-dominated careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

Play Like a Girl invites attendees to a networking reception and photo opportunity with the athlete ambassadors immediately following the panel discussion. 

This program supports the current National Archives exhibit All American: The Power of Sports, which opened in September 2022. The exhibit will be open for viewing prior to the program. 

All American: The Power of Sports
The power of sports has many applications. Sports unite people, teach values, and inspire hope and pride. In the United States, sports have powered efforts to bring citizens together, shape them, and project a vision of what it means to be American. But sports convey power to athletes too—power to break social barriers and protest injustice. All American explores the power of sports both to embody our national ideals and challenge us to live up to them.

All American is free and open to the public and is on display in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, through January 7, 2024. This 3,000-square-foot exhibit showcases more than 75 items including original records, artifacts, and photographs. Highlights include original sports equipment and jerseys given by star athletes to Presidents, early 20th-century tobacco baseball cards, trophies, rare pictures and film footage, patents, and more.

All American: The Power of Sports and programs presented in conjunction with the exhibit are made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of AT&T, AARP, and Mars, Incorporated. Additional support provided by HISTORY® and the Lawrence F. O’Brien Family. 

The National Archives Foundation All American: The Power of Sports Honorary Committee includes past and current athletes, Members of Congress, leaders of sport-related nonprofit institutions, corporate executives, journalists, and other distinguished dignitaries, who support the ideals of the National Archives exhibition.

About the National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries and online at www.archives.gov. 

About the National Archives Foundation
The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy. The foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world. Learn more at www.archivesfoundation.org.