In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Barbara Burton and Michelle Vosper of the HSST Outreach Committee gave a presentation to students at Kittatinny Regional High School as part of a launch event for the school’s new Holocaust and Genocide Research Center. Dr. Carol Fishbone, Supervisor of Instruction, and Teacher of English, Mary Houghtaling arranged an afterschool gathering of fifty teachers and students.

Dr. Burton traced the landmark events in American history which led up to the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 when women gained voting rights.

She explained that women in the thirteen colonies lived under British law which denied them many rights we take for granted today. Nor did the Declaration of Independence extend any of its visionary privileges to women. Women would struggle for almost 150 years to gain the legal equality that was rightfully theirs.

Michelle introduced the matriarchal society of the Lenape people who lived in New Jersey for more than 15,000 years. Lenape women and men were equal members of the community. Women were held in high esteem and respected as healers, spiritual leaders and diplomats who negotiated land deals with the European newcomers and brokered peace treaties with the Iroquois and other adversarial tribes.

To see the presentations, click here for Barbara’s presentation or click here for Michelle’s presentation.