Founded in 1996, the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is an innovative museum dedicated to uncovering, interpreting, and celebrating women’s diverse contributions to society. A renowned leader in women’s history education, the Museum brings to life the countless untold stories of women throughout history, and serves as a space for all to inspire, experience, collaborate, and amplify women’s impact—past, present, and future. We strive to fundamentally change the way women and girls see their potential and power. NWHM fills in major omissions of women in history books and K-12 education, providing scholarly content and educational programming for teachers, students, and parents. We reach more than five million visitors each year through our online content and education programming and, in March 2023, mounted our first physical exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown Washington, DC, "We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC."

After her emigration to the U.S. from her native Cuba, Celia Cruz adopted her iconic exclamation ¡AZUCAR! liberally in her performances. She claimed that her interjection originated at a Miami restaurant, where she was shocked by the question of whether she wanted sugar in her coffee. She used the word when singing to express intense joy in the sweetness of the moment. At the same time, its literal meaning (sugar) evoked her Spanish-speaking, Afro-Cuban identity. Cuba’s economy rested on sugar production, which had historically depended on Black enslaved labor and the African diaspora. Living as an exile, Cruz had to assert her passion for sugar and, through it, her very Cubanidad.

You can learn more about Celia Cruz as we celebrate the release of her US Quarter, as well as other singers from US History in this month’s featured biographies.

Use the NWHM’s compendium of online biographies to spark curiosity and dig deeper into women’s impact throughout our shared national history. Explore more here.