Communication in History

Biography

Sonia Sotomayor

As the first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor has made an impact in and out of the courtroom.

Biography

Sandra Day O’Connor

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States, was one of the most influential Americans of the 1980s and 1990s.

Lesson Plan

Dolores Huerta: The Life and Work of a 20th Century Activist

Students will understand the contributions of the 20th-century farmworker activist Dolores Huerta and her impact on the farmworker rights and unionization movements in California and nationally in the late 20th century.

Exhibit

Feminismo: La Segunda Ola

Al igual que la primera ola, que se desarrolló durante un período de reformas sociales, la segunda ola también tuvo lugar en medio de otros movimientos sociales y políticos.

Biography

Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller is honored and recognized as the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Lesson Plan

Thinking Historically: The Evolution of Women’s Athletic Wear

Students will examine photographs and primary source accounts describing uniforms for women’s sports from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century.

Exhibit

Feminism: The First Wave

While many date the “first wave” of feminism to the Women’s Rights Convention held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, the origins of the feminism movement lay much earlier.

Exhibit

Feminismo: La Primera Ola

Durante generaciones, el movimiento feminista ha avanzado notablemente en la defensa de los derechos de las mujeres.

Biography

Catherine Coleman Flowers

Environmental health advocate Catherine Coleman Flowers is determined to battle “America’s Dirty Secret”: unequal sewage and sanitation access for rural communities and people of color.

Biography

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the “Guardian of the Glades,” led the charge to protect the Everglades and reveal their rich natural heritage to the rest of the world.

Biography

Sylvia Earle

Marine biology expert Dr. Sylvia Earle holds the record for deepest walk on the sea floor, and was the first woman to lead the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Biography

Winona LaDuke

Winona LaDuke, a Native American activist, economist, and author, has devoted her life to advocating for Indigenous control of their homelands, natural resources, and cultural practices.

Lesson Plan

The Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston

Examine Zora Neale Hurston’s lifelong commitment to African American literature and cultural preservation.

Biography

Anna Arnold Hedgeman

Throughout her long life, Hedgeman advocated for civil rights, education, social justice, poverty relief, and women.

Biography

Cori Bush

As one of the newest members of Congress, Bush pushes for progressive legislative goals that will benefit her constituents—people just like her.

Biography

Pauli Murray

As a poet, writer, activist, organizer, legal theorist, and priest, Murray was directly involved in, and helped articulate, the intellectual foundations of two of the most important social justice movements of the twentieth century.

Biography

Stacey Abrams

Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States.

Biography

Sylvia Rivera

A veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising, Sylvia Rivera was a tireless advocate for those silenced and disregarded by larger movements.

Lesson Plan

Gloria Steinem, Feminism and “Living the Revolution"

Students will use the words of Gloria Steinem, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Betty Friedan to better understand sexism in America. will Students will ultimately write a short piece evaluating the extent to which second-wave feminists were successful.

Biography

Suzan-Lori Parks

Though a high school teacher discouraged her from writing because of her poor spelling, Suzan-Lori Parks went on to become one of the most successful playwrights in the United States.