Courage Museum

Bronze sculpture by Thomas J Price, UK artist, from his "Beyond Measure" exhibition at Hauser Wirth Gallery, Los Angeles

“Located on the Main Post of the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, the Courage Museum will put public land to use for a public service: ending the public health crisis caused by violence, and the hate that fuels it. The Courage Museum is a design lab for the deep, transformative human change needed to prevent violence before it happens.”

This is the mission of the Courage Museum, created by Futures Without Violence, a nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of groundbreaking programs, policies, and campaigns that empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children around the world.

I am thrilled to be a lead investor in this profound project to build a brick-and-mortar museum that will encourage visitors to consider ways that courage can transform our personal situations and experiences into powerful actions for change in schools, communities, and society at large. There will be real, intimate, and collective experiences from compelling storytellers who have survived domestic abuse, gun violence, sexual assault, and discrimination. A special exhibition of Empathy Mirrors will allow these s/heroes to share their lived experiences on video screens in a private booth for visitors to witness their hearts.

There are in-depth conversations now being conducted with high school students, college-aged youth, educators and parents to ensure the museum fulfills their needs and builds age-appropriate connections and resources to address the impacts of trauma.

In May, I was taken on a tour of the space by Futures Executive Director and founder Esta Soler to view how each gallery will be equipped with tools to rethink violence. It is Esta’s firm belief that there is great possibility of a world in which violence is not an inevitable part of the human experience, and that with education and information, people can make better choices, especially choices not to harm others.

To me, courage is standing tall in who I am (tall like the bronze sculpture in the photograph above), using my life story as an example of how I’ve overcome abuse, marginalization, racism, and misogyny. I resist these issues every time I am faced with them and have tools and a community that understands how to prevent and end violence against women and children, people of color, LGBTQ community members, and workplace inequities.

What does courage look like to you?

Here are ways to be a changemaker for good.

Please consider becoming a partner with me in this important venture!  Thank you so much.