Commonwealth Speakers:Women Through History
Harriet Tubman is one of the many strong women who have had incredible impact on culture and the historical path of both Pennsylvania and the nation.
Gutsy Girls and Courageous Acts
There have always been girls and women who have dared to follow their own path. From Baba Yaga to Harriet Tubman, from the Little Mermaid to George Sands, stories abound that emphasize the value of following one's inner voice. Storyteller Cora Hook will share the adventures of some of the world's most independent spirits, and will help participants learn how to create their own "gutsy girl" myths in a storytelling workshop. Requirements: Display table. Microphone and CD/cassette player preferred.
Cora E. Hook, Storyteller, Writer and Actress, Bethlehem
Women and Politics
The involvement of women in the political process is a recent phenomenon, in historical terms. Kimberly Adams discusses the history of the development of women's participation in government and the varying levels of female representation in government both in the United States and abroad. Audiences will learn about the evolving female political experience - from exclusion, to protest, to participation, to policymaking. Requirements: Microphone, podium, and display table.
Kimberly Adams, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science, Lock Haven University, Lock Haven
Picturing Women in the Modern Age: 1850 to the Present
From Manet's Olympia to television's Desperate Housewives, an abundance of cultural images reflect ideas of how women should look and behave. Vicky and participants will discuss the changing face of woman, from Edouard Manet's courtesan and Mary Cassatt's opera-goer through Rosie the Riveter and Dorothea Lange's farmland mother to Versace ads and the characters of photographer Cindy Sherman, to investigate what art, photography and mass media say about women in Western culture. Requirements: Slide projector & screen, podium with light, room with adjustable light. LCD projector preferred.
Vicky A. Clark, Ph.D., Independent Curator, Pittsburgh
Queen Elizabeth I: Firm Feminist or Patriarchal Pawn?
Historians tend to represent Queen Elizabeth I as either a strong-willed feminist or a tool of the men who surrounded her, or as weakly vacillating between the two. Mary Hazard will discuss portraits of the queen and selections from literature of the Elizabethan era to explain how she was viewed by her subjects, and participants will be encouraged to examine these materials to answer for themselves what kind of role Elizabeth I played. Requirements: Slide projector and screen, laser pointer or pointing stick. TV/VCR, microphone preferred.
Mary E. Hazard, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Drexel University, Philadelphia
Jefferson's Daughters
In his lifetime, Thomas Jefferson produced 18,000 letters, the writing of which, one historian noted, defined the parameters of Jefferson's world. The same cannot be said for his daughters or granddaughters. Using their letters, portraits, and images from the home in which they were raised, Catherine Kerrison explores details of family life at Monticello, from what it was like growing up in Jefferson's shadow to tensions between Jefferson's two families - white and black. The lives of Jefferson's daughters allow participants to explore the meanings of gender, citizenship, race and slavery in a formative period of American history. Requirements: Slide projector and screen.
Catherine M. Kerrison, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Villanova University, Villanova
Modern First Ladies: From Ceremony to Substance
Once limited to the task of hosting teas, the role of the modern First Lady has evolved significantly over the last century. Such figures as Edith Wilson, Florence Harding, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush have become increasingly involved in everything from promoting pet causes to influencing public policy. At the same time, prospective First Ladies have become increasingly important to their husbands' campaigns, lending a humanizing element to the rough trade of politics. While the institution itself remains shrouded in tradition, Katherine Sibley will explain how these women wield growing political influence. Requirements: Screen. CD/cassette player, LCD projector preferred.
Katherine A. S. Sibley, Ph.D., Professor of History, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia