"A Century of Gender Justice Activism" virtual discussion

NOTE: The Oct. 16 event featuring Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has been canceled.

TRAVERSE CITY — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and several academic speakers will appear at four virtual events this fall commemorating the centennial anniversary of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote.

An in-person voter registration drive Sept. 22 on NMC’s main campus will also be part of “100 Years of the 19th Amendment: Observing the Past and Looking Toward the Future.” Volunteers from the League of Women Voters - Grand Traverse Area will be available to register new voters from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center.

The virtual events are as follows:

  • Thursday, September 17: The Constitution’s Suffrage Amendments: Giving Voice to Those Who Were Not Silent.
    7 p.m.— Panel discussion in conjunction with Constitution Day. Presenters and NMC instructors Mindy Morton and John Zachman will discuss the 15th, 19th, and 24th amendments and the individuals and groups whose political actions saw those amendments become political reality, and evaluate how these amendments impact our current political climate and elections. Morton is an adjunct instructor of history and Zachman is an instructor of political science and philosophy. Zoom Link: nmc.zoom.us/j/98632067245
  • CANCELED: Friday, October 16: A Discussion on Elections and Voting with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
    7 p.m.— Hosted by Rachel Wilczewski, NMC sociology instructor, Secretary Benson will share information and her expertise on issues surrounding voter access in Michigan as well as information regarding the upcoming election and the recent actions in the state to reduce partisan gerrymandering. Live Q and A to follow a 30-minute presentation. Elected in 2018, Benson is the author of State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process, the first major book on the role of the secretary of state in enforcing election and campaign finance laws.
  • Thursday, November 12: “A Century of Gender Justice Activism” with Caroline Heldman, Ph.d. Chair of Critical Theory and Social Justice Department, Chair of Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies at Occidental College.
    7 p.m.—Hosted by Shilo Smith, NMC psychology instructor, Heldman will present a timeline of the last century of gender justice activism with a focus on progress and pitfalls. She will analyze the current status of women in the U.S. after a century of pushing for gender justice. Zoom Link: nmc.zoom.us/j/94968308718
  • Friday, December 4: “The Lesson of the Lark” Virtual Choral Concert
    7 p.m. — Hosted by Jeffrey Cobb, Director of Music Programs
    The NMC Music Department, Audio Tech and Visual Communications programs are premiering a new concert work celebrating the centennial anniversary of women’s suffrage. This piece, which is meant to uplift and unify us, is a multi-movement work composed for narrator, soloists, chorus, and jazz orchestra. It is based on local author Laura Knight Cobb’s recently published book of the same name, a dramatic interpretation of the struggle for women’s voting rights.

Release date: September 3, 2020

 

For more information:

Diana Fairbanks
NMC Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
(231) 995-1019
dfairbanks@nmc.edu

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