Speaker Announced for Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon

In Need of Some Inspiration?  This is the Event–and the Speaker–to Challenge and Recharge You!
Dr. Irma McClaurin
Dr. Irma McClaurin

Rochester, NY– Celebrating Susan B. Anthony’s birthday is a tradition that began in her lifetime and continues to this day. This 199th birthday party and fundraiser for the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House will take place February 13, 2019 at the Joseph A. Floreano Riverside Convention Center, 123 E. Main Street, Rochester, NY.

The keynote speaker for the 2019 Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon will be Dr. Irma McClaurin, co-chair of 2018 Seneca Falls Revisited Conference & Retreat held in Rochester, past president of Shaw University, activist anthropologist, black feminist speaker and author, and diversity champion and consultant. She is alsothe founder of the Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

With a focus on inclusiveness, Dr. McClaurin says, “I want to encourage and challenge people to find bonds of commonality; and motivate everyone to leave inspired and committed to acting with integrity, grace, and respect as they move through the world.”

“We are setting the stage for 2020 when we celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment, Susan B. Anthony’s 200th birthday, and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Anthony Museum,” says Deborah L. Hughes, President & CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House. “Dr. McClaurin will challenge us to move boldly into 2020, furthering  the causes of human rights that are a cornerstone of Anthony’s legacy.”

You can read more about Irma McClaurin at her web site, irmamcclaurin.com.

The Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon is held each year in mid-February to celebrate Susan B. Anthony’s February 15th birthday, to honor contemporary women who continue her legacy, and to raise awareness of the educational and inspirational programs offered by the Museum.

Monday Lecture Series 2018-2019

Monday Lecture Series logo

 

The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House proudly presents the 16th season of its popular Monday Lecture Series.

This season’s line-up features eight guest speakers covering a range of topics inspired by the life, work, and legacy of Susan B. Anthony.

 

Sept. 24, 2018A Forgotten Partnership: The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and Native American Communities. Presented by Dr. Thomas Lappas, Professor, Nazareth College

Oct. 22, 2018Lucy Stone and the American Woman Suffrage Association: The Other Half of the Story. Barbara Berenson, author  SOLD OUT

Nov. 5, 2018History of How and Why Racism is Imbedded in America’s DNA. ​Robert Richane, Instructor, Oasis

Dec. 3, 2018Inez Milholland, Suffrage Crusader. Sandra Weber, author  

Jan. 14, 2019Frederick Douglass and Ireland—Then and Now. Dr. Timothy Madigan, Professor & Chair, Department of Philosophy & Classical Studies, Saint John Fisher College

March 18, 2019The Role of Black Women in Reconstruction-Era Political Campaigns, Dr. Justin Behrends, Associate Professor & Chair, History, SUNY Geneseo

May 6, 2019Catherine E. Beecher and the Cult of Domesticity. Denise Munson, Esq.

June 3, 2019Martha Taylor Howard, Savior of 17 Madison Street. ​Dr. Jenny Lloyd, History Professor Emerita, The College at Brockport 

Each presentation is offered in our Carriage House as a noon luncheon ($35 individual reservation) or 2pm informal tea ($20 individual reservation). PLEASE NOTE: All Teas are SOLD OUT, but there are still a limited number of seats available for the Luncheons.

Space is limited. Purchase your reservation today online here or call 585-279-7490.

It raises my blood pressure!

Today, we received a very angry phone call from a woman who read on the internet that the SBA List will be featuring the U.S. President as their keynote speaker next week. Since we are the most recognized organization bearing Susan B. Anthony’s name, she assumed that we had something to do with the SBA List’s political agenda.

As the National Historic Landmark that has championed the memory and legacy of Susan B. Anthony for three-quarters of a century, the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House is incensed that the SBA List continues to assert that the icon of the woman’s suffrage movement would have anything to do with blatantly partisan politics. Susan B. Anthony was proud to claim the title “radical reformer” and she believed that the purpose of government was to create a more just society and a better world for all people.

The SBA List uses her name to further their cause, but they neither understand her life’s work nor advocate for the causes in which she believed. We call on the SBA List to either take a bold and clear stand for liberty, equality, and justice for all humanity, or stand down from using Susan B. Anthony’s name.

Deborah L. Hughes
President & CEO
National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House

June 2018 Monday Lecture Series

Spiritualists, Suffragists, & Other Nasty Women of the Mid-19th Century, a lecture by Dr. Amy Lehman, Associate Professor, Theatre and Dance, University of South Carolina

When a woman spoke out or performed on a public stage or reform platform in mid-19th c. America, she was likely to be labelled a “nasty woman” – or worse. Whether as a suffragist, spiritualist, abolitionist or actress, if she were seen to abandon her sacred domestic role as the “Angel in the House” a woman might expect fierce public scrutiny and often scathing criticism. This talk will discuss the struggles and strategies of celebrated women activists and reformers like Susan B. Anthony, who despite relentless opposition, nonetheless persisted in making their voices heard.

The noon Lecture & Luncheon is SOLD OUT.
The 2pm Lecture & Tea is SOLD OUT.

Interpreting Susan B. Anthony for Our Times

Susan B. Anthony—still controversial after all these years

“To find inspiration in an historical figure is a complex task. In a sense, we create a phantom person for our modern purposes out of the odd bits of her life that we value. We craft a memory that connects us across time to a person or events, trying to be true to both spheres—our world and hers. It’s an exercise that works best when our imaginations are informed by solid historical information.”

Ann D. Gordon
Research Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University

 

One of the important roles of the Anthony Museum is to be a resource for those seeking historical information about Susan B. Anthony’s life and work. We received many inquiries about her position in regard to abortion when Anthony was featured in a skit on Saturday Night Live! Because the set of the NBC skit included a remarkable likeness of the front parlor of 17 Madison Street AND named the Susan B. Anthony House, audiences assumed that we had been consulted on the contents. Actually, we had no idea that this skit was in the works. (If you would like to read more about our interpretation of Susan B. Anthony on issues of reproductive freedom, read  Misrepresenting Susan B. Anthony on Abortion.)

The morning after the 2016 Election, the L.A. Times published an article about the crowds that had gathered at Susan B. Anthony’s grave. The article introduced the question of racism in the suffrage movement, asserting that Anthony’s movement “fought for the voting rights of white women, excluding African Americans.” To support their argument, they included a “quote” attributed to Anthony. Unfortunately, it is a misquote that  is repeated all over the Internet and through social media.

Susan B. Anthony did say something similar, but the correct wording and the context are critically important to our understanding.

Before the U.S. Civil War, Anthony was an activist with the American Anti-Slavery Society. Like Frederick Douglass, Anthony believed in a union where all citizens must have the right to vote. During the war, she and others organized the Women’s Loyal National League, which was the first women’s political organization to advocate for eliminating slavery by an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They gathered more than 300,000 signatures on petitions for an amendment—a detail that was left out of the recent movie, Lincoln.

Following emancipation, they anticipated taking up the cause of voting rights for all. They founded the American Equal Rights Association in 1866, whose purpose was “to secure Equal Rights to all American citizens, especially the right of suffrage, irrespective of race, color or sex.”

Imagine Anthony’s indignation when she and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were privately approached by Wendell Phillips and Theodore Tilton to suspend work for universal suffrage, to concentrate on getting the vote for men of color only. Anthony’s biographer, Ida Husted Harper reports that Anthony responded that “she would sooner cut off her right arm before she would ever work for or demand the ballot for the black man and not the woman.” It was a betrayal to Susan B. Anthony to be asked to compromise on the issue of universal suffrage.

Shortly after this, Anthony and Frederick Douglass divided over the issue. Douglass believed that it was a matter of life and death to grant emancipated men the right to vote. Out of this disagreement has grown the perception that Anthony chose white women over all people of color, which is a misrepresentation. We only need to look at her words, “It is not a question of precedence between women & black men. Neither has a claim to precedence upon an Equal Rights platform. But the business of this association is to demand for every man black or white, & for every woman, black or white, that they shall be this instant enfranchised & admitted into the body politic with equal rights & privileges.” 

There were certainly moments in the woman’s suffrage movement when the actions and words of the leaders betrayed their own racism and bigotry. At the Anthony Museum, we want to confront the ways in which Susan B. Anthony has been used to perpetuate racism, both in her time, and in ours. We want to recognize the ways in which the Anthony Museum might also be reinforcing bias and racism. We are energized by her challenge, “I want a union in fact, not a sham.” 

Interpreting Susan B. Anthony’s life and work is as challenging as it has ever been, because Susan B. Anthony is as relevant today as she has ever been.

Greater New York City Chamber of Commerce Honors Deborah L. Hughes and the Anthony Museum

Each year, the Greater New York City Chamber of Commerce celebrates Women’s History Month with an awards reception recognizing influential women—including past honorees NYS Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. With this year’s theme “Celebrating Equality, Fairness, Respect & 100 Years of Voting Rights!,” we are pleased to announce that Deborah Hughes, president and CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, will be honored at the Chamber’s  reception on March 22nd, along with honorees Jennifer Gold of the The Carlyle Group NY Center for Cybersecurity & Resilience;  Sandra Wilkin of the Bradford Construction & Women’s Builders Council; and Dina Bakst & Sherry Leiwant, co-founders of A Better Balance.

The Women’s History Awards Reception will take place Thursday, March 22,  2018, from 6:00pm – 8:00 pm, at the General Society Library, 20 W. 44th Street, New York City.

Here is a link to the  Greater New York City Chamber of Commerce event.

Wreath Ceremony Commemorates Susan B. Anthony’s Death and Legacy

National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House Commemorates  Susan B. Anthony’s Death and Legacy

 

Rochester, NY – The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House will host a ceremonial wreath hanging on the front steps of 17 Madison Street, the National Historic Landmark that was Susan B. Anthony’s home and headquarters, on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.

The brief ceremony commemorates the 112th anniversary of Susan B. Anthony’s death and will include remarks by Anthony Museum President & CEO, Deborah L. Hughes.

This event is free and open to the public.

Rennes France to Honor Susan B. Anthony

Rennes, France to Honor Susan B. Anthony

Delegation to represent Rochester and the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House

 

On International Women’s Day, March 8, 2018, Rochester, NY’s sister city, Rennes, France will dedicate a square to honor Susan B. Anthony. Susan B. Anthony was one of the founders of the International Council of Women, and was most interested in ensuring rights for women around the world.

On Saturday March 3, a delegation of 30 participants associated with the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House and the International Sister Cities of Rochester  will gather at 17 Madison Street, the site of the Anthony Museum in Rochester, NY, to board a bus for Toronto. From there the group will fly to France to participate in the Rennes dedication.

In addition, on March 7, the Anthony Museum executive director & CEO Deborah L. Hughes will give  a presentation on Susan B. Anthony and her quest for justice. You can read more about her presentation here.

The Anthony Museum will be sharing posts on Facebook & Twitter throughout the trip using the hashtag #SusanB-Rennes.

2018 also marks the 60th anniversary of the Rennes-Rochester Sister Cities program.

Election Coverage November 2016 Media Round Up

For over a week, there were fifteen media outlets including all of the Rochester network affiliates – 8, 10, and 13, Time Warner Cable News, the Democrat & Chronicle as well as national and international media including the New York Times, CNN, and the BBC came or called to the home where Susan B. Anthony lived and worked for over 40 years.

Before the election, CNN Digital sent reporter Tiara Chiaromonte to interview Deborah Hughes the weekend before the election. The CNN digital interview went “viral” with more than 60,000 viewers seeing it on our Facebook page and over SIX MILLION viewers at CNN: http://ow.ly/WkqQ306y0HZ

Also during the week leading up to the election, Susan B. Anthony Museum & House President & CEO Deborah Hughes was interviewed by nyupstate.com from Syracuse and Channel 4 from Buffalo: http://ow.ly/KDa5306y0Op

 

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One of the more poignant interviews during the week leading up to the election was conducted by Berkely Brean of Channel 10.  Brean interviewed Dr. Ruth Scott, Lois Geiss, and Deborah Hughes in the Attic of 17 Madison Street, the home of Susan B. Anthony. Dr. Scott served on the Rochester City Council from 1977-89. In 1986, Dr. Scott was elected as the Council’s first President. Scott’s leadership was instrumental as the City moved from a City Manager form of government to a directly elected mayor.  Lois Geiss also served as Rochester City Council President. Anthony Museum & House President & CEO Deborah Hughes pointed out that the third floor of the house, known as the garret or attic, the location of the interview was dedicated to the woman’s suffrage movement.

On Election Day there was a flurry of activity at the Museum! From New York City, came a reporter and photographer from the New York Times.   The journalists were part of a news team of female journalists who were sent to various locations around the country to report the events of the day. http://ow.ly/nwsx306y1dU

At the end of a very busy day, reporter Solina Lewis from Channel 8 interviewed Deborah Hughes and also did a live report from our parking lot for the 6:00 p.m. News.

View all media coverage

Democrat & Chronicle http://ow.ly/bPN8306y2zC

WROC-TV 8 http://ow.ly/Nwkc306y284  and http://ow.ly/m7mB306y2e9

Live Coverage of gravesite http://ow.ly/8rnZ306y2Uq

WHAM-TV 13 http://ow.ly/mH5y306y2K4

WXXI-TV http://ow.ly/ZfNa306y3je

BBC http://ow.ly/HpsC306y3yw

Talk of the Town http://ow.ly/lvSy306y3IG

Time Warner Cable News http://ow.ly/OpUI306y4az and http://ow.ly/eBAr306y4bu

Huffington Post  http://ow.ly/zFtj306y4BX