June 10, 2020
UFM presentation explores women's roles in Chautauqua Movement
UFM Community Learning Center will host "Politics on the Platform: Woman Suffrage at the Chautauqua," a live presentation and discussion by Sarah Bell, staff member at the KU Watkins Museum of History, at 7 p.m. Monday, June 15, online via Zoom.
Members of the campus and community are invited to attend the free program. Please register online at tryufm.org to attend the program. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas
Chautauqua was a movement that focused on moral education and self-improvement through programs on reform, religion and culture. The movement was useful for advancing the cause of womanhood and provided a space for women to discuss important issues of the day. By the 1890s, women had succeeded in making it a space that promoted woman suffrage. This presentation will examine how women used the Chautauqua platform to engage in political activism, particularly suffrage and temperance, and how this early movement laid the groundwork for contemporary issues of feminism and gender equality.
Bell holds a doctorate from the University of Kansas in history and is a development officer at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence. Her dissertation studied woman suffragists’ participation with the Chautauqua Movement.
"The women I research inspire me to fight for progress and justice in our world today," Bell said. "Sharing their stories is a way to honor and recognize their hard work at advancing our society."
"Politics on the Platform: Woman Suffrage at the Chautauqua" is part of Humanities Kansas's Movement of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.
For more information email info@tryufm.org.
Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, their pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with their partners and supporters, we inspire all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.