Northwest Florida State College Professor Brings History to Life
September 3, 2020
Northwest Florida State College History Professor Victoria Stewart is making history more interactive for her students this year. A pop-up display showcasing the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote in the United States of America is located outside of her classroom on the Niceville campus.
Stewart secured the display, entitled, “Rightfully Hers,” by submitting an essay to the U.S. National Archives explaining how the display would benefit the College and her students.
“In my classes, I stress the importance of history as understanding these actors as the people who lived, died, sacrificed, struggled, and survived,” Stewart said in her essay. “Honoring those activists and agents of change through a display on our campus will help our students see the importance of this anniversary. This is our opportunity to ensure these voices are heard and seen in our college community.”
The Rightfully Hers cardboard cube depicts scenes and information outlining the struggle, political change and eventually the expansion of the vote to millions of women leading up to and celebrating the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Stewart was awarded one of only 2,500 pop-ups that were distributed in partnership with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission to museums and places of higher learning nationwide in celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.
“This display not only showcases the quality of effort our faculty put into their work here at Northwest Florida State College, but also the importance of diversity and inclusion across American history,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, NWFSC President.
The Rightfully Hers Pop-up Display is currently housed outside the NWFSC English/Communications and Social Science office suite in building 420 through December 2020.