Voices and Votes traveling exhibit
A Smithsonian traveling exhibit opens today at the Robert H. Jackson Center.
The Center will open “The Story of Our Participation” exhibit alongside the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibition of “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America.”
Robert H. Jackson Center President Kristan McMahon said the exhibit tells the history of the United States from a civics perspective, “New York State, given its special relationship with Indigenous people, there is a pre-exhibit that’s also been developed that’s traveling with this that’s about the role that Indigenous persons, specifically the Seneca Nation, that really played in helping to form some of our basic governmental functions. There’s a lot of the Constitution that was drawn from Seneca principles. So, there’s that exhibit and the Smithsonian exhibit as well.”
McMahon said “The Story of Our Participation” exhibit tells the region’s story as well. She said the Center partnered with community organizations to highlight the significance of adding democratic artifacts of local significance, including antique voting equipment, vintage political cartoons, and Jackson’s Supreme Court chair.
The Voices and Votes exhibition is adapted from American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Voices and Votes includes historical and contemporary photographs, educational and archival video, engaging multimedia interactives, and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material. The Jackson Center is the fourth site to host the exhibit since it opened at Preservation Long Island in March. It continues at seven more sites through 2025.
The Robert H. Jackson Center is also asking the public to share short stories about their relationship with democracy through the “OurStoryBridge.” McMahon said people can make appointements to record their story in the Center’s library. To schedule a time to record your story during the exhibit’s residency, contact a staff member at 716-483-6646, email info@roberthjackson.org, or book online.
The two exhibits are open to the public from September 6 to October 18.
For more information, visit roberthjackson.org
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