Information will be available for readers to celebrate, investigate, and engage with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment! Jane Addams Hull-House Museum Chicago, four Illinois libraries and the RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois Library System) in a virtual suite of exhibits and programs will make the celebration possible.
Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Aurora Public Library District, Gail Borden Public Library District, and the Schaumburg Township District Library revisit their successful 2019 collaboration on the Culinary Curiosity Exhibit with an added partner, RAILS, to bring Jane Addams Hull-House Museum offerings to the Chicago suburbs.
“While Hull-House remains physically closed during the pandemic this Fall, the project allows the Museum, through immersed online experiences, to continue to share the rich histories of the social reformers, women’s rights advocates, immigrants, and labor organizers of the original Hull-House Settlement who came together to create social change in their neighborhoods,” said Jennifer Scott, public historian and curator/former director, and chief curator, of Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.
The virtual Hull House hub highlights two exhibits commemorating the history of women’s activism and its evolution today. Why Women Should Vote is an exhibit based on a 1910 essay by Jane Addams and offers a self-guided exploration of early women’s movement artifacts, including photos, published literature, and other items related to the work of Addams and other suffragists. True Peace: The Presence of Justice, examines activism through the lens of women of color and queer communities of color featuring artist-activist Monica Trinidad and Sarah-Ji.
In Race, Rights, and Activism: Wells, Willard, and Addams, a dynamic panel of experts will analyze the conflicts and exclusions within first wave feminism, particularly for black women from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17.
Author Michelle Duster, historian and author Rima Lunin Shultz, Jennifer Scott, former director and chief curator of Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Northwestern University professor Leslie Harris, and Lori Osborne of the Frances Willard House Museum, will discuss the ways racism continues to influence progressive movements today. These exhibits and programs will be supplemented with a virtual map detailing the multitude of stories and exhibits throughout Illinois, particularly within libraries and open to all individuals and organizations, that illuminate the fight for suffrage and women’s activism in general.
Interest persons across Illinois, as well as library staff members, are invited to share their stories about the history of women’s voting in their community and/or the current impact of today’s women activists. This site will connect visitors to this information across the State.
—Aurora Public Library District