Inspiring America

Title IX was signed into law 50 years ago this week. That same year, Nikki Franke started Temple University's varsity women's fencing team. Franke, the only female African American head coach in Division I fencing, has an impressive record – nearly 900 wins – but her impact on athletes is the true measure of her success. She tells NBC News' Stephanie Gosk that "we have done a lot" for progress on gender equality in college sports, "but there's still a lot to do."

NBC News’ Harry Smith takes us inside a special exhibition at New York’s prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art. The nearly 500 pieces on display were all created by Met staff members, including curators, educators and security guards.

A new exhibition that celebrates the cultural contributions, activism, history and varied experiences of Latinos in the U.S. It's a first step toward building a museum. However, $500 million still needs to be raised as leaders work to acquire artifacts spanning more than a century.

Michael Deering has taken one photo a day on his film camera for the last 26 years. He’s captured more than 9,000 images – from everyday moments to major milestones. Deering urges others to slow down and “notice the little things that life shows you every single day.”

Olympic speed skating champion Erin Jackson teamed up with the Thunderbirds and boarded an F-16 to celebrate the Air Force Academy graduates. She follows in the footsteps of fellow gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin who attended the celebration in 2019.

Rosie Quinn has alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes one’s hair to fall out. Growing up, people kept asking why she had no hair. Rosie’s mother would print paintings on headscarves for her, which led to the beginning of the nonprofit “Coming Up Rosies.” Rosie and her family assemble kits of paint, brushes, canvases, and anything needed to create head scarves to distribute to children’s hospitals. Rosie’s message: “Bald is beautiful.”

Curator Kanitra Fletcher says the mission of “Afro-Atlantic Histories,” a new exhibition at the National Gallery of art in Washington, is to ensure “people understand that work by Black diasporic people is just as treasured and important as the European art that you see.” It includes over 130 works taking viewers through a global journey from slavery to emancipation and civil rights. NBC News’ Yamiche Alcindor speaks to art students about its impact on them.

When baby giraffe Msituni was born in February, veterinarians at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park discovered that the little giraffe suffered from a range of ailments, including hyper-extended joints. The Hanger Clinic, a group specializing in building orthotics for humans, performed two procedures to fabricate a mold of Msituni’s leg and create a custom stainless steel brace. After wearing the brace for ten days, Msituni can now roam free. 

18-year-old Lucy Westlake became the youngest American woman to conquer Mount Everest. NBC News’ Lester Holt has our interview with Westlake about her journey and her next goal: the “Explorers Grand Slam.”

In Florida, “Big Will” Dunn mentors young fishermen through “Take A Kid Fishing,” a program that teaches kids, all of whom have either lost their father or don’t have an active father figure, how to fish. Dunn had a great relationship with his father and decided he wanted to share the experience with those that don’t have it.

When baby Oliver Huffman needed medical care, Pam and Harvey Lodish opened their Boston home to his family through Hospitality Homes, a non-profit that matches patients’ families with volunteer hosts. Since the program started, they’ve helped more than 37,000 families. Years later, Oliver’s aunt is now running the Boston marathon, dedicating each mile to the organization.