Freedom Center and Ten Thousand Villages launch museum store partnership
MEDIA CONTACT
Cody Hefner, (513) 608-5777, chefner@nurfc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Freedom Center and Ten Thousand Villages launch museum store partnership
Ethically-sourced products from global artisans reinforce mission of both organizations
CINCINNATI, OH (November 5, 2020) — The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s mission to champion freedom extends into its museum store with a new partnership with Ten Thousand Villages. The new partnership brings fair trade items into the Freedom Center while celebrating the craft, talent and culture of its artisans and supporting them financially.
The Freedom Center has long admired Ten Thousand Villages and has partnered with the organization on fundraisers in the past. Now, guests can shop their products directly at the Freedom Center and, in turn, make an investment in artisans around the world, becoming part of their story.
“Our work at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is to create advocates and champions of freedom, and our museum store is not excluded from that work,” says Woodrow Keown, Jr., president and COO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “We champion those who provide products that are ethically sourced and manufactured by workers making a fair wage so they can have agency over their own lives.”
Ten Thousand Villages has been committed to their mission of fair trade to the Queen City for almost 20 years. They aim to end the cycle of generational poverty by creating meaningful, long-term employment for artisans around the world. Fair trade helps prevent child labor and sweatshop labor and promotes opportunities for women and disabled artists who are typically outcasts in their society.