HWS News
11 July 2024 • Research "Rollercoaster of Rights" By Colin Spencer '19
Students’ exhibit explores the Equal Rights Amendment and local political activism.
Throughout the summer, Greta Paasch ’27 and Mia Tetrault ’25 have been exploring the local and national history of women’s rights in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institute’s “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” exhibit at the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
“The Rollercoaster for Women’s Rights, Equality, and Freedom,” curated by Paasch and Tetrault, showcases the Hall of Fame’s archives and provides a history on the Equal Rights Amendment, a Constitutional amendment that prevents discrimination based upon sex and ensures equality.
The exhibit opens Friday, July 12 and runs through Friday, Aug. 23. More information can be found here.
Under Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice Betty Bayer, the students sorted through the Hall of Fame's archives to source artifacts for the exhibit, including newspaper clippings, photos, pins and letters. They also collected items from the New York State Museum, The University of Massachusetts Amherst archives, National Museum of American History, Library of Congress and from the official photographer of the 1977 National Women’s Conference.
“It’s amazing to look back at these stories and letters that were written and compare them to today,” says Tetrault, a media and society and American studies double major.
“We’re tying local and national history with women’s history as a whole,” says Paasch, who as a sophomore has yet to declare a major. “These local people are fighting for women’s rights in their own way, whether it’s through their work or research.”
Paasch and Tetrault also attended a women’s rights rally at the New York State Capitol building and spoke with local residents to collect oral histories of political activism. This included interviewing Marilyn Bero, a past president of the Hall of Fame who lives in Seneca Falls, which Tetrault says was her favorite part of the project.
“Gathering the oral histories is really important because you’re preserving someone’s knowledge of events and their firsthand experience," says Tetrault. "These stories become a testament of time which can be shared with the community at large and be passed on for future generations to look back to.”
In addition, Paasch and Tetrault assisted with installing other exhibits included in “Voices and Votes” such as “Co-Crafting Democracy: Fiber Arts and Activism,” a project co-curated by faculty from Rochester Institute of Technology: Juilee Decker and Hinda Mandell.
Paasch says they wanted to gain experience in archival research. “I’ve always been interested in history and this internship seemed perfect for me,” says Paasch.
Interested in museum curation and women's rights, Tetrault applied to the research position. When she learned it would be part of a project with the Smithsonian Institute, she “thought it would be a great opportunity to enhance my networking skills and meet professionals in the industry.”
With this project, Paasch says it’s been “cool to have the power to shape the exhibit, but also have to acknowledge that there is still work to be done” for women’s rights.
"We just want to portray the story of women’s rights as realistically as possible, and this circles back to the title of our exhibit: "The Rollercoaster for Women’s Rights, Equality, and Freedom" which showcases that there is still a lot more work to be done," says Tetrault.
Top: Greta Paasch ’27 and Mia Tetrault ’25 help Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice Betty Bayer on “The Rollercoaster for Women’s Rights, Equality, and Freedom” exhibit at the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
