"Making Our Voices Heard" America 250 Traveling Exhibit
October 1, 2024 - January 2, 2025 | Janet H Wilson Education Center
Americans understand civil rights as political and social freedoms that promise equality for everyone. Throughout the history of the United States, certain groups faced exclusion from enjoying these rights. For many years after the founding of our nation, only White, Protestant, land-owning men could vote. Everyone else has struggled and organized for the right to vote and exercise other basic civil rights.
This exhibit tells the story of everyday people and extraordinary leaders - Gertrude Weil, Henry Owl, Joe Lewis, Abraham Galloway, Ronald Mace, James Hunter, and Willa Player - who petitioned, protested, and organized to expand democracy.
The exhibit explores change, freedom, civic responsibility, and overcoming challenges by telling the story of a few North Carolinians who have raised their voices to call out injustice and fully participate in our democratic society.
The exhibit was developed by staff of NC State Historic Sites, but the text of most of the panels was written by external authors - folks across the state with unique connections to the featured individuals. Those authors are thanked on the exhibit’s conclusion panel.
This exhibit is made possible through a grant from America 250 NC, an initiative by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
