Powerful Newark Art Exhibit Honors Women’s Rights, 19th Amendment

NEWARK, NJ — When “Radical Women: Fighting for Power and the Vote in New Jersey” officially opens this week, the art exhibit will have a strong voice of support in its corner: Secretary of State Tahesha Way.

Way – who was sworn in as New Jersey’s 34th Secretary of State in February 2018 – will be on hand for the opening reception of “Radical Women” at the Newark Public Library from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23. (Learn more about this local event)

The exhibit finds inspiration in the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote when it was ratified in 1920.

Here’s how organizers describe the exhibit, which runs from Jan. 23 to Dec. 31.

“The exhibit highlights leading women activists and change makers who fought for power and the vote from 1807 to 1920 and beyond. It presents their original writings, early historical news articles, photos and portraits, and includes voices of New Jersey teen poets and recognized artists who create art about women’s identity.”

Organizers said:

“Though not seen as radical today, the nineteenth and early twentieth century women’s rights movement challenged deeply held beliefs about women’s proper roles within the home and in the wider community. Women’s rights were an emotional and heavily disputed issue with profound economic and political implications. For many women, achieving the vote was part of a larger struggle against racism, anti-immigrant sentiment and economic exploitation.”

“Radical Women” was created by Noelle Lorraine Williams, research and curatorial consultant with Newark Public Library, in collaboration with William Paterson University history professor George Robb and Beth Zak Cohen, Librarian in the New Jersey Information Center at the Library. It was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, for this exhibit.

The exhibit is part of New Jersey Women Vote: The 19th Amendment at 100, an initiative by the Alice Paul Institute, the New Jersey Historical Commission and 65 partners, including the Newark Public Library, designed to mark the centennial by celebrating American women’s activism throughout history.

“As a woman serving as New Jersey Secretary of State, I am honored to co-lead our state’s effort to recognize the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage,” Way said. “I look forward to NJ Women Vote's celebration of this centennial anniversary as an opportunity to increase civic engagement and voter participation across New Jersey.”

“We want to shine the light on the women of New Jersey who had the courage to challenge the social and legal restrictions on their lives,” said Tom Alrutz, interim director of the Newark Public Library.

“This gives us more than just a glimpse into their lives, by connecting it to contemporary New Jersey women through their writings and their art, it spans more than 100 years of Radical Women in our state,” Alrutz said.

• See related article: NJ Has Record Number Of Female County Freeholders, Study Says

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