Recollections of Times Past
A View Into Women’s Herstory
. This summer I had the pleasure r if
visiting the very birthplace of the
Women's Movement: Seneca Falls, New York.
Being a feminist and a lesbian, the
National Women's Hall of Fame was a double
joy to me—no, a triple joy. Being a
woman, period, should be enough reason for
this place to bring pleasure, and it did.
The main street of Seneca Falls is not
a bustling center of commerce. It's just
a small street lined with shops, restau
rants, and a half-columned fronted build
ing bearing the plaque "National Women's
Hall of Fame, Seneca Falls, New York,
Birthplace of Women's Rights 1848." The
plaque also bears the quote, "to honor in
perpetuity those women, citizens of the
United States of America, whose contribu
tions to the arts, athletics, business,
education, government, humanitarianism,
philanthrophy and science, have been of
greatest value for the development of
their country."
Once inside you see that the honorees
range from Emily Dickinson, Eleanor
Roosevelt, Rachel Carson, Sojourner Truth,
Amelia Earheardt, Harriet Tubman, Helen
Hayes, Mary Cassatt, Helen Keller, Marion
Anderson to the newest inductees Mother
Jones and Bessie Smith.
Along the walls are spaces for each
woman with a portrait, a biography, and,
for some of the women, a telephone
receiver through which you can hear Susan
B. Anthony or Sojourner Truth give one of
their famous speeches or Marion Anderson
sing her favorite h3min.
The National Women's Hall of Fame,
opened in 1979, was established to provide
"a permanent place of honor for America's
most outstanding women" and as a place
where people could learn of the signifi
cant contributions of women.
Though I was there on a weekday after
noon, many people, mostly women, were
there to view the exhibits. The atmo
sphere, appropriately enough, was one
reminiscent of a church or other holy
place. It was refreshing to be surrounded
by portraits of women being recognized for
their acheievements and contributions to
American society. The history one is
taught in school has the emphasis on his.
What a delight to wallow in such a concen
trated dose of herstory for a while. I
carry that herstory with me always, being
a lesbian, a feminist, and a woman. The
exclusion of important women from elemen
The National
Women’s Hall of Fame
Seneca Falls, New York
Birthplace of Women’s Rights 1848
tary, junior high, high school, and col
lege general history classes seems so
ridiculous to me that I find it hard to
believe. Must a pilgrimage to Seneca
Falls be made for a person to become aware
of the crucial impact women have had on
our country, in this world? The answer to
Lliis dreary question does not have to be
no. But the mecca that is the National
Women's Hall of fame is a place where a
woman can go and feel the intense joy of
intense appreciation for her gender. And
that is a splendid feeling indeed.
-Kim Turnage
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