Guest post by Lisa-Marie Napoli, Director of the Political and Civic Engagement program at Indiana University.
At the end of watching a good film, I like to sit for a few minutes, catch my breath, and reflect on what the film means to me, how it informs my thinking, and how it brings to light values that are important to me.
Through teaching a Suffrage course for the Intensive Freshman Seminar program and a Leadership and Public Policy course in the Political and Civic Engagement program, I had the opportunity to view films such as Iron Jawed Angels, Chisholm ’72, and Suffragette. These films provide substance for educating its audience to learn more about women’s movements and the challenges faced. Whether it was the uphill climb for women’s rights or the recognition of barriers faced by female political candidates, these films center women and recognize them as inspiring, passionate, focused, social justice-oriented individuals who, when collaboratively working together with others, can accomplish remarkable things.
When I pause to consider what these films mean to me, a flurry of memories arise. For example, I can vividly recall how excited I was, in elementary school, to give a speech about Susan B. Anthony; I have another memory of carrying a paper and pen with me to collect signatures for a successful petition that led to the creation of a basketball sports program for girls in 7th and 8th grade (after all, the boys were playing since 5th grade); and, finally, I recall the time the priests and nuns in the Catholic school I attended allowed us to have a voice in the need for equality, for girls to be accepted as altar girls at mass. In these examples, I recognize an element of electricity that stirs inside oneself when work for justice calls. Pulling from one’s inner passion, talking with others who share a similar spirit, and organizing and working together to share stories and make things happen is an alchemy, an incredible opportunity to build new pathways toward equality, toward equity, and to make a difference. In reflecting on the films, the values that come to light begin with identifying one’s passion, sharing ideas, and collaborating to take action.
Through the films and personal reflections, I see that films such as these validate experiences, link actions to impacts, challenge traditional systems, and reveal ways that women had their voices heard. Retrospectively thinking about the social context of the era that each film is set, it’s easy to see how women’s voices were needed, how the significance of their voices impacted others, and how, collectively (but, unfortunately, not welcoming to women of color), women’s voices and their newfound power influenced history through today. It’s deeply ironic because the suffrage movement, in many ways, emerged out of the anti-slavery movement and it is a revolting reality that black women were downplayed, rejected, and kept out of the movement’s frontline. We need to acknowledge this part of our history and do the reparation work necessary for healing.
As many know, this month (August 2020) marks the 100-year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, when women gained the constitutional right to vote. It is important to mark this historic occasion, in its notable achievements where many women sacrificed so much. It is also important to mark the need to heal from past injustices and to diligently work on current gender and race issues.
In collaboration with several outstanding units on campus — the Office of the Provost, the Arts and Humanities Council, the Political and Civic Engagement (PACE) program, the Department of History, Themester 2020: Democracy, and others — we are commemorating Equality Day with a series of events (both virtual and in-person) as a way to honor the journey of women in securing the right to vote and to recognize how we need to maintain that inspiring, passionate, focused, social justice mindset to face hard issues, speak up, and have a positive impact moving forward. The Equality Day keynote address on August 26th, “We Must Be Fearless,” by Anita Morgan highlights stories of Indiana suffragists followed by the PBS film One Woman, One Vote, documenting the American suffrage movement. Registration is required for each event, safety procedures are prioritized, and seating is limited. We also have a wonderful series of virtual panel discussions scheduled throughout the week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon, starting today, August 24th. Please see the Office of the Provost’s website for details.
In a recent article in the New York Times, I found that their title represents my thoughts well: “The 19th Amendment: An Important Milestone in an Unfinished Journey.” It is a time to reflect on where we’ve been, acknowledge the sacrifices, commemorate how far women have come, highlight the disappointing aspects of the journey, and work to heal from the past. Additionally, thinking about the journey ahead inspires me to talk with others to find ways to move forward in addressing civil rights and human rights issues, make reparations, and find ways to collectively — and as inclusively as possible — stand up to the task of recognizing and addressing the unfinished business ahead. My hope is that we can take a breath, reflect, and begin anew a journey together toward a brighter future.
As part of PACE’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, they have collaborated with IU Cinema on the film series Democracy and Leadership: Revisiting Women’s Struggles and Strides through the Cinema’s Creative Collaborations program.
The series is comprised of the virtual event A Conversation on Iron Jawed Angels on September 1 and a virtual screening of Chisholm ’72: Unbought and Unbossed on October 16 with a film introduction and interactive Q&A with PACE.
Lisa-Marie Napoli, Ph.D., received her M.P.A. in Public Policy and Management from Ohio State University and her doctoral degree in Public Affairs at Indiana University. She currently is Director of the Political and Civic Engagement (PACE) program; Co-Chair of IU’s Big Ten Voting Challenge; and founding Director of PACE’s Talk Democracy project. Napoli is trained as a mediator, facilitator, researcher, and public engagement consultant and enjoys working with students to bring ‘theory to practice.’