Ibtihaj Muhammad’s fencing mask/ head covering
“I’m a sports curator, and any time the Olympics are happening, I tune in to see, ‘Hey, what might I collect that’s interesting or tells a great story?’ And in 2016, when Ibtihaj Muhammad was the first American to compete in the Olympics wearing hijab, it was pretty monumental — a touchstone moment. So after the Olympics were over, I just reached out on the internet. A lot of times, that’s the way we get ahold of people when we don’t have contact info. And she did respond, and said yes. I didn’t tell her what to donate. I just said, “What would best represent your time at the Olympics?’ She sent in the mask and the head covering, and also the fencing jacket and gloves. She picked those specifically to tell her story. I think the mask, especially with the American flag, you’re just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s awesome.’
“In that [display case], they were going for patriotism: What does patriotism look like? That’s why they have the Captain America shield — I think we were just trying to find objects that would relate patriotism to the visitor, and a [fencing] mask with the American flag is pretty much patriotism right in your face. I think it just ties into her role as an athlete, as a Muslim American and as a woman. Freedom takes on all kinds of different aspects, and I think all those things that she represents are really shown in that mask.”