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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
History Today: When the US women's suffrage movement began 1848
On July 19, 1848, reformers convened in Seneca Falls to demand women's rights, launching the US women's suffrage movement. Their Declaration of Sentiments, boldly modelled on the Declaration of Independence, called for equal rights — including the ballot. What began there would change American democracy over the next seven decades read more Upstream view along the Seneca River in Seneca Falls, New York, c. 1850. Wesleyan Chapel, the site of the first women's rights convention in US history, is located just north of the river and is now part of the Women's Rights National Historical Park. Image/Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC As part of Firstpost's History Today series, July 19 is a landmark in global history. In 1848, the US women's suffrage movement was launched at the historic Seneca Falls Convention — a momentous step toward gender equality. Nearly 150 years later, on July 19, 1993, the US Department of Defense announced its 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy affecting LGBT military service. And in 1980, the Summer Olympics opened in Moscow, boycotted by around 60 countries in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The birth of the US women's suffrage movement In the heat of mid‑July 1848, around 300 reform-minded Americans converged at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York. Over two transformative days (July 19-20), they launched the country's first women's rights convention — a defining moment that set the stage for over seven decades of struggle until women won the vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920. More from Explainers History Today: When the #BlackLivesMatter sparked a movement to change the world The catalyst for this gathering was a rejection that resonated with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott: when Stanton, Mott, and other women were barred from speaking roles at the 1840 World Anti‑Slavery Convention in London simply due to their gender. This exclusion led to a promise to fight for women's rights — resulting in a meeting arranged in Waterloo at Jane Hunt's home on July 9, which set Seneca Falls into motion. Stanton, Mott, Martha Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Jane Hunt, influenced by Quaker ideals and abolitionist fervour, used Stanton's kitchen table as their planning ground. A notice placed in the Seneca County Courier on July 14 announced 'a convention to discuss the social, civil and religious condition and rights of woman' — resulting in an overwhelmingly local but symbolically bold event in just days. The first day was women-only, empowering them to speak freely about their frustrations under a patriarchal legal system. On July 20, men — including the pivotal abolitionist Frederick Douglass — joined the discussion. Stanton's keynote speech set the tone: 'We are assembled to protest against a form of government…without the consent of the governed,' confronting the systemic disenfranchisement of women's voices in public and legal spheres. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Drafted almost overnight, the Declaration of Sentiments was a rhetorical masterpiece — mirroring the Declaration of Independence, yet boldly asserting gender equality: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.' This document catalogued 16 legal, educational and civil grievances — from wage injustice to constrained marital rights — highlighting women's subordinate standing. Among 12 resolutions, the ninth — calling for the elective franchise for women — stirred heated debate. Initially narrow in acceptance, the suffrage resolution passed only after Douglass spoke in its favour — tilting the vote meter. Ultimately, 68 women and 32 men affixed their names — all 100 signatories daring to envision radical equality. National newspapers covered the event. Some repelled it as 'insane,' while others praised the call for equality. The St Louis Republic ridiculed the idea of men washing dishes; The North Star, by contrast, lauded it as a 'foundation of a grand movement.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Though suffrage advocates like Susan B Anthony were not present, they leveraged the event as a rallying point for impassioned advocacy. Within two weeks, supporters held a second convention in Rochester. Regular conventions formed a sustained campaign strategy: Worcester in 1850, followed by gatherings nationwide and the creation of local suffrage societies. Seneca Falls did not initiate public conversations about women's rights — it propelled them. Legal reforms enabling married women to own property, educated women, took legislative action, and pushed for marital autonomy over decades. Icons such as Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul and Sojourner Truth will later carry forth the torch, hosting parades, hunger strikes and civil disobedience . Seneca Falls could not perhaps foresee its own fragmented legacy. While Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others prioritised white women's suffrage, Black activists like Truth, Wells, and Mary Church Terrell continued the fight — often independently and into the Jim Crow era. The Birth of the Movement at Seneca Falls was formal, symbolic, and foundational — but not comprehensive. The gender and race dynamics that started there retained tension through Jim Crow and beyond. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Charlotte Woodward Pierce, the only surviving signer to live to see the 19th Amendment ratified in 1920, was a living link between origin and outcome. Seneca Falls inspired waves of activism globally — Britain, Canada, across Europe — showed that what began as a local answer to gender bias would echo across borders . Modern scholarship complicates the Seneca Falls narrative. Historians like Lisa Tetrault argue that its prominence was constructed only decades later to establish origins for fractured factions of the suffrage movement. Meanwhile, Black suffragist history predates 1848. These activists are finally being recognised through initiatives honouring Black women voters under Jim Crow and the long tail of disenfranchisement culminating in the VRA (1965) and ongoing battles on voter suppression. Efforts following Seneca Falls included state suffrage victories — Wyoming in 1869, Colorado in 1893 — culminating in the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, DC. These campaigns led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920 . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yet, hope proved partial. Native Americans and Black women continued struggling — barriers persisted well into and beyond the Civil Rights era . The site is today part of the Women's Rights National Historical Park, anchored by landmarks like the Wesleyan Chapel and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House. Schools, museums, and essays mark the passing of Seneca Falls as both inauguration and testament. Seneca Falls' legacy resonates today amid fights for transgender rights, reproductive justice, equal pay and civil rights. Its shining principle — 'all women are created equal' — still demands constant loud reiteration amid modern pressures. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' announced On July 19, 1993, US Secretary of Defense Les Aspin unveiled the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (DADT) policy. Sponsored by the Clinton administration, it allowed LGBTQ‑identified individuals to serve only if they remained discreet about their identity, and prohibited discrimination — but enforced dismissal if they disclosed it. A compromise to balance demands for inclusion with military resistance, DADT sparked mixed reactions. LGBTQ groups criticised its forced secrecy as psychologically damaging, while opponents insisted it threatened unit cohesion. Over its 17‑year lifecycle, 13,500 service members were discharged under DADT . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD DADT was ultimately repealed on September 20, 2011, enabling open LGBTQ service, a landmark victory in civil‑military equality. 1980 Summer Olympics open in Moscow amid boycott On July 19, 1980, the Summer Olympics began in Moscow — the first Games hosted by a communist nation. However, nearly 60 countries, led by the USA, boycotted the event in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Still, 5,179 athletes from 80 countries competed, including Bulgaria and East Germany. The Soviet Union topped medal tallies. Controversial performances — like US gymnast Cathy Rigby's absence and New Zealand's tainted gold — defined the competition. The boycott marked a high-water point in Cold War sports diplomacy, raising questions about politicising athletic events. With inputs from agencies
Axios
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
What's stealing the show at Newfields this summer
The majesty of Indigenous Australia, the splendor of the Rococo period and the resilience of the Black Arts Movement are just a few of the things you can experience now at Newfields. The big picture: The art museum recently unveiled five exhibits that will be bringing the heat all summer. Zoom in: Here's what you need to know about Newfields' latest attractions. This opulent display showcases the work of contemporary queer artists Robert Horvath, Diego Montoya and Anthony Sonnenberg who draw inspo from the Rococo period's extravagance. There is a watercolor room by Horvath that is inspired by palace interiors, ornate ceramic sculptures by Sonnenberg, and gowns from Montoya. " Maximum Color, Minimal Form: The Panels of Ellsworth Kelly" Kelly, a pioneer of hard-edge abstraction, had a close relationship with Robert Indiana that played an instrumental role in the creation of Indiana's iconic LOVE sculptures. Indiana said Kelly's insistence on pure color and form was a defining inspiration for the stacked letters. This exhibit puts that approach on display with 11 bold, colored panels that play on movement and spatial awareness to evoke emotion. " Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas" This Smithsonian American Art Museum invites visitors to see the world through the eyes of Thomas, a teacher and artist famous for developing her signature style of abstract painting late in her life. There is also a playlist of Thomas' favorite tunes that pairs with the exhibit. She often listened to music as she worked. " The Truth of Freedom: Resilience Redefined" A showcase of the power of creativity as a tool for healing and social change, inspired by the 60th anniversary of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and '70s. The gallery brings the work of visual artists of different disciplines together to offer their take on a shared longing for connection, dignity and freedom. The LUME Indianapolis featuring "Connection: Land, Water, Sky" Making its debut in May, the headlining presentation is an exhibition that features the work of 100 contemporary Indigenous Australian artists to take us on a tour of their world. On Friday, The LUME added three featurettes created by IU Herron School of Art + Design students that will play alongside "Connection: Land, Water, Sky" this summer.
NBC News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
These NYC Pride photos from the 1970s depict quintessential queer joy
NBC Out & Proud The Hispanic Society Museum and Library is featuring decades-old Kodachrome photographs of New York City Pride marches taken by artist Francisco Alvarado-Juárez. May 24, 2025, 7:15 AM EDT By Kaitlyn Schwanemann There are a few Pride march staples you're likely to find every June, dating to the first such events in 1970: massive handheld fans, ornate gowns, voluminous wigs and loving embraces. But at the ' Out of the Closets! Into the Streets! ' exhibition at the Hispanic Society Museum and Library in New York, there's one thing missing — rainbow flags. The photography collection, featuring 18 photographs taken by artist Francisco Alvarado-Juárez, depicts scenes from New York City Pride marches in 1975 and 1976 — just a few years before the LGBTQ flag was created in 1978. Alvarado-Juárez's collection is a time portal in more than one way, though: The photos were all captured on Kodachrome film, an early type of color film that is now discontinued. The exhibition is on display and will run until Aug. 31. It serves as the second installment of the museum's 'Arte en el Alto Manhattan' series, which highlights upper Manhattan artists. Born in Honduras and raised in New York City, Alvarado-Juárez said 'Out of the Closets! Into the Streets!' is not just the name of the collection but a call to action. 'Especially as we got to areas where there were residential buildings, the people in the march would chant, would call out the people in the buildings to come down, you know, out of the closets into the street, to come down and join us, which was a very effective way to communicate with different people who were not part of the parade,' Alvarado-Juárez said in an interview. Back then, in New York City, it wasn't called a Pride march; it was the Christopher Street Liberation Day March or the Gay Liberation Parade. It began on June 28, 1970 — exactly one year after the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Alvarado-Juárez, a painter, photographer and mixed media artist whose work has appeared in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Brooklyn Museum, hadn't anticipated the photos' being shown in a museum 50 years later. 'I was taking it for myself,' Alvarado-Juárez said. 'I was looking at the experience and taking photos as art for art, for the pleasure of doing art.' The photos depict march participants donned in feather boas, floral fascinators and fringe metallic vests, posing throughout lower Manhattan with red, white and blue party balloons and banners behind them. The exhibition is the Hispanic Society Museum and Library's first LGBTQ initiative, according to its website. While the full exhibit ends in August, selected works from Alvarado will be shown on the museum's outdoor terrace through next spring. Alvarado-Juárez said he lives just a few blocks from the museum, which is in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, and has been going there for nearly 30 years. 'It is quite, quite different to be able to see my work at the museum, as opposed to just visiting and looking at those masterpieces on the walls in the halls,' he said. Alvarado-Juárez said Pride Month, which is celebrated in June, has evolved over the years, with '70s marches functioning more like parades and parties and marches during the AIDS epidemic functioning more like protests against the government for failing to respond to the crisis. 'As we get into this very dark period of our history with this new administration,' Alvarado-Juárez said, referring to the Trump administration's policies targeting LGBTQ people, 'maybe people can draw some good energy from these images and enjoy them for what they were back then but also enjoy them for the energy they still communicate.' Kaitlyn Schwanemann Kaitlyn Schwanemann is an intern for NBC News.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sightlines' art exhibit highlights Asian-American influence in the DC experience
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — An exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum gives a new perspective on the rich history and influence of Asian-Americans in the District and beyond. Prominent pastor notified books loaned to African American museum may be returned amid review Moving through time, space and place, the 'Sightlines' exhibit sits just steps away from the iconic Friendship Archway in Chinatown, it's a reminder that Asian-American history in the DMV goes far beyond what can be seen from the street. 'It just seemed so perfect to mount an exhibition talking not just about Chinatown, but just the ways that Asian Americans have contributed to the built and cultural environment of our nation's capital,' said Yao-Fen You, the acting director of the Asian Pacific American Center. She helped bring the exhibit to life before its opening last fall. 'For us it's about unearthing those facts that, really, people haven't known about. I just like to think of it as telling a more fuller history,' said You. Sightlines is designed to give a different perspective and something new to look at from every angle, highlighting the intersectionality of the city experience and the impact of Asian-American culture in the District. The exhibit is home to three main stories: Making Place, Transforming Tradition and Visualizing Identity. A lot of the highlighted history is very recent, with some pieces from the 21st century, and others back to the 1960s and 1970s. 'I think what's great is that we had people come in and they're so excited, not only to see themselves, but to see their friends,' said You of some of the photographs included in the exhibit. It also celebrates artists like Alfred H. Liu, who designed the iconic Friendship Arch, and takes a closer look at what could have been. A sketch shows a design for an unrealized project called the Far East Trade Center. 'This is something that was never built,' said You, walking through the exhibit. 'He wanted it to be built on top of the Chinatown Metro station.' The drawings, sculptures and artwork highlighted in Sightlines go far beyond what's on display within the exhibit's walls. It includes a map of street art and murals by Javanese-American artist MISS CHELOVE, Cita Sadeli, and how to find them across the District. 'I think with each exhibition, you can never explore something to the depth that a curator ever wants to,' said You. 'There's only so much visitors can handle. The idea is that you are invited to explore more to whet your appetite. Right. We're just so excited that we have had this opportunity to introduce, not only the DMV audience, but also tourists coming from all over America to sort of just looking at DC in a very different way.' She and her team are also looking forward to another exhibit opening up at the American History Museum this fall, specifically highlighting the Filipino-American experience. 'Sightlines' is expected to stay on display through Nov. 30, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Seeing the Invisible World
The company that I run, Motivational Maps, has a slogan: 'Making the invisible, visible.' Now that's something, isn't it? At some intuitive level, we all know what 'motivation' is, but what actually is it? Our company trades on the basis that we can accurately describe and measure motivation; by doing so, we make it visible. What before was a gut feeling, now is something much more substantial. Many other things are invisible: our personalities, our psyches, the past, the future, all our values, and even abstract nouns like love. We don't doubt that love exists, though we don't see love itself; we experience it through actions, our own and others'. In fact, the most important things in this world are all invisible, and yet everything depends on them. To put it another way, the material, visible world depends upon the immaterial invisible one. One of the great Chinese philosophers expressed it this way, in the ' Those who in ancient times were competent as Masters Were one with the invisible forces of the hidden. They were deep so that one cannot know them. Because one cannot know them Therefore one can only painfully describe their exterior. (Translation by Richard Wilhelm) The Power of Invisibles In his wonderful book, 'Beauty, Spirit, Matter: Icons in the Modern World,' Aidan Hart commented on this ancient painting technique: 'One task of iconography is to unveil this logoi [explanation/meaning] hidden within creation to make the invisible visible. ... Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of icons is the virtual absence of shadow. This is because the icon reveals all things as living and moving and having their being in God. As God is light, there can be no shadow.' "Inspiration Chretienne," by Pierre Cecile Puvis De Chavannes. Monks painting icons on the wall of an abbey in France. Smithsonian American Art Museum/CC0 This invisible world is the powerful one. As British author Karen Armstrong Related Stories 4/9/2025 2/8/2025 This powerful reality is a major source of hope and comfort to us; it is also a source of terror and admonishment—a warning, if you will. Disregarding the invisible world is a calamitous mistake. There are two wonderful and dramatic examples of this in the 'Mahabharata,' the ancient Indian epic, and the Bible, which seem to me in parallel. According to Donald A. Mackenzie's 'Indian Myth and Legend,' in the 'Mahabharata' epic, the evil cousin, Duryodhana, decides to capture and imprison the god Krishna, who is present in his earthly, incarnate form. Duryodhana wants to do this to prevent Krishna from deciding to support Duryodhana's cousin, Arjuna, in the forthcoming war. But the god perceives his intentions and 'Ah! thou of little understanding, is it thy desire to take me captive? Know now that I am not alone here, for all the gods and holy beings are with me. Having spoken ... Krishna suddenly revealed himself in divine splendour. His body was transformed into a tongue of flame; gods and divine beings appeared about him; fire issued from his mouth and eyes and ears; sparks broke from his skin, which became as radiant as the sun. All the rajas closed their eyes; they trembled when an earthquake shook the palace. But Duryodhana remained defiant.' Notice the phrase 'I am not alone here' and the manifestation of divine beings. Similarly, in the Old Testament, the king of Aram, enraged by the prophet Elisha's revealing his plans to the king of Israel, sends an army to capture him. Elisha's servant is terrified by the army, but Elisha ''Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.' Then Elisha prayed and said, 'Lord, please, open his eyes so that he may see.' And the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.' But how does this knowledge influence our lives, our decision-making? Will we see these angelic beings and their hosts even if we pray to do so? Well, both the 'Mahabharata' and the Bible have two other stories which take this concept to the next level. Trusting in the Invisible Duryodhana and Arjuna both seek Krishna's help for the impending war. Duryodhana arrives first and chooses to sit near Krishna's head as he sleeps, while Arjuna arrives later and sits near Krishna's feet. Upon awakening, Krishna sees Arjuna first and offers him the first choice between two options: either Krishna's personal involvement on his side, with the condition that he will not wield any weapons, or use of Krishna's mighty Narayani Sena (army). Arjuna opts for Krishna's personal, albeit unarmed, support, and Duryodhana gleefully accepts the vast Narayani Sena army. Clearly, Duryodhana believes that Arjuna has made a dreadful mistake. But this choice underscores Arjuna's devotion and strategic insight, valuing Krishna's counsel over sheer military might. In other words, he valued the invisible over the visible, and, because of this, prevails against Duryodhana. Krishna and Arjun in the chariot, "Mahabharata," 18th–19th century, India. Public Domain Belief in the invisible—in the invisible world—has tremendous ramifications, and ultimately becomes a matter of life and death, or more accurately: life or death. So where is the key moment in the Bible that shows the importance of decision making on this epic scale? It is of course Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane ( We make decisions on the basis of only what we know or think we know; oftentimes, what we know is only what we see—a speck of reality. The greatest of us in this world see far more than what can be seen materially, because they look to the invisible. As the Irish poet, priest, and philosopher John O' Donohue expressed it: 'You cannot see your thoughts, which shape your mind and the world, and you have never seen the inner world hidden behind the faces of those closest to you. You cannot see the future that is already claiming you and you cannot see the divine, so the invisible world holds our deepest treasures and it is only through the gift of the imagination that we can sense these adjacent worlds and cross over their thresholds. The imagination is the great friend of possibility. For the alert and awakened imagination, possibilities always beckon towards new pathways of creativity, belonging and love. Each of us has been created by the Divine Artist, made in the image and likeness of the Divine Imagination. … The imagination knows that it is at these thresholds that new worlds rise into view.' New worlds rise into view? Exactly—seeing the invisible—surely, a mission for our whole lives. What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
