The FSU Women’s Center held a letter writing event on Monday, March 15 lobbying congressional leaders to create the first National Women’s History Museum.

The event kicked off a week-long campaign. It began at 6 p.m., and was an extension of the weekly coffee hours that the Center holds.

“Women are just invited to come in and write a letter that we’re going to be sending to our representatives, just saying that this is essential and needs to happen,” said Garrett Sthlichte, an FSU freshman who helped organize the event.

The idea for the campaign was born when the center’s activity coordinator Nichole Carrero heard a public service announcement from actress Meryl Streep, urging viewers to write to congressional leaders for the creation of a national women’s history museum. This PSA inspired Carrero to research this idea of a national women’s history museum, and in doing so she found the National Women’s History Museum website. She found that museum is up and running, online at least, and includes virtual exhibits viewers can access over the web. However, the museum lacks a physical space.

“I think it’s really important that there is a physical space for women’s history,” said Carrero. “Online space is clearly not the same as having a physical building in the capital to represent women and our history.”
Seeing that the museum had started a letter campaign called, “Right Here. Right Now.,” Carrero decided to bring a similar event to the FSU’s women center.

The letter writing campaign began in 2009, when the bill for the federal permission to obtain a site for the museum in Washington, D.C was reviewed in Congress. Now, the museum and its supporters, such as the volunteers at the FSU Women’s Center, are hoping to garner enough Congressional support to pass the bill during the current session of Congress. If they’re successful, the museum will be able to begin construction for the first National Women’s History Museum.

As a history major, Carrero has witnessed firsthand the lack of education on women’s contributions to humanity’s history. Her concern is who will teach women’s history, since the professors of higher education are not.

“I take history classes,” she said, “and I think that gender history is always very secondary. It’s all very endocentric.”

Jessica Schwartz, a freshman and volunteer at the women’s center who was present at the event, echoes Carrero’s criticism of the neglect women’s history education:

“I feel like most of the historical figures taught in school are predominantly male,” said Schwartz. “But what about women like Rosa Parks? It’s important for people to understand that it’s not just men who have made history.”

Though currently there are several museums throughout the country which have small sections dedicated to women’s history, no museum dedicated solely to women’s history exists in the United States.

“Women have been such an integral part of this country and its foundation, in so many different aspects,” said Sthlichte. “They deserve to be recognized, not just as someone who stood behind or beside a man, but as a woman who pioneered the way. That’s what this event is.”

Although the kickoff for the event was Monday, anyone who might missed Monday night is welcome to stop by throughout the week. The center is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays. The Women Center will provide envelopes and templates for the letters, and someone will always be there to assist visitors and answer any questions.

“If they can’t make it here on Monday, there’s still a way for them to do it, for them to write and get involved,” said Sthlichte. “It’s not just about creating the event, and this is it. It’s meant to spread. Hopefully it’s something that will happen all over the place.”

Anyone interested is encouraged to join the FSU Women’s Center Facebook group. Additional templates for the letters and address information for congressional leaders are provided on their events page.

Image courtesy of Wim Mulder, Flickr Creative Commons.