In February of this year, Chick History launched March to the 19th, in partnership with Humanities Tennessee. This five-year, statewide initiative, will rebuild women’s history in Tennessee over the next five years to commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment, and to give voice to the countless women who have been a part of America’s history. Our four goals are:
- Empowering history professionals. (Completed!)
- Protecting the legacy.
- Sharing the women’s history all around us.
- Inspiring the next generation.
Phase One: Empowering History Professionals Complete
Over the past seven months, Chick History travelled across Tennessee building an incredible network of museum and history professionals through the Chick History Bootcamp. The Chick History Bootcamp was a one-day program designed specifically for museum and history professionals ready to do better women’s history.
Bootcamp by the Numbers
4 Locations across Tennessee
- Nashville Bootcamp: April 28, 2016 @ OZ Arts Nashville
- Memphis Bootcamp: June 30 2016 @ Memphis Botanic Garden
- Knoxville Bootcamp: August 25 2016 @ Ijams Nature Center
- Chattanooga Bootcamp: October 27 2016 @ Hunter Museum of American Art
36 Hours of women’s history and networking that covered…
- How race, gender, and material culture are used and interpreted at historic sites.
- Ways to construct a three-dimensional world for historical women using a multi-disciplinary model.
- How to use recent scholarship to position women as active participants and leaders in history.
- Challenges, lessons and advice when it comes to collecting, preserving, and interpreting women’s history.
- Choices we can make as a field to better incorporate women’s history into our collections, exhibitions, and interpretation.
“Outstanding Bootcamp…Just a note to affirm you for an outstanding Bootcamp! It was a wonderful experience. Looking forward to being a part of this important movement.”
Reneé Kesler, Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Inc., Knoxville Bootcamp Participant
5 Speakers with over 8 decades of experience
- Ashley Bouknight, PhD, Assistant Curator, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
- Cindy Grisham, PhD, President, Arkansas Women’s History Institute
- Page Harrington, Executive Director, National Woman’s Party at the Belmont-Paul Us National Monument for Women’s Equality
- Rebecca Shrum, PhD, Assistant Professor of History and Assistant Director of the Public History Program, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
- Noelle Trent, PhD, Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education, National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel.
“Thanks so much for putting together such a great program for the Nashville Bootcamp.”
Tara Mitchell Mielnik, PhD, Federal Programs Coordinator, Metropolitan Nashville Historical Commission, Nashville Bootcamp Participant
160 Attendees from Across Tennessee
80 + Organizations represented, including:
- Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
- Beck Cultural Exchange Center
- Birthplace of Country Music Museum
- Chattanooga Public Library
- Croft House at the Nashville Zoo
- Customs House Museum & Cultural Center
- Discovery Park of America
- Dixon Gallery and Gardens
- East Tennessee Historical Society
- Etowah Historical Commission
- Fort Defiance Civil War Park
- Geneva Miller Historical Society
- Girl Scouts Museum
- Heritage Alliance
- Hunter Museum of American Art
- Knox County Public Library
- McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture
- McMinn County Living Heritage Museum
- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
- Metro Nashville Historical Commission
- Metro Nashville Public Schools
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Morton Museum of Collierville History
- Multicultural Museum of Hardeman County
- Museum Center at 5ive Points
- Museums of Tusculum College
- Nashville Public Library
- National Civil Rights Museum
- Pink Palace Museum
- Red Clay State Historic Park
- Southern Adventist University
- Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Tennessee State Museum
- The Parthenon Museum
- The Tennessean
- University of Memphis
- University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- University of Tennessee, Martin
- West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center
- Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
View the full list of organizations represented at the 2016 Chick History Bootcamp Series
“Thank you so much for organizing this workshop. This was so much more than I thought it was going to be, and I’m so glad I attended.”
Frankie M. Perry, University Libraries, The University of Memphis, Memphis Bootcamp Participant
Bootcamp Participants in Action
- “The first thing I’m doing tomorrow when I get to work is taking what we learned and reevaluating our permanent exhibit redesign.” – Caroline Mitchell Carrico, Memphis Pink Palace Museum, Memphis Bootcamp Participant.
- “This was great. We are redoing our house tour, and this is going to help so much.” – Nancy McDonough, Executive Director, Davies Manor Plantation. Memphis Bootcamp Participant.
- “We look forward to trying to integrate the matrix into our own writing and teaching at the McClung. I know it will inspire a lot of conversations about our upcoming exhibition writing, as well as an NEH exhibition on the Civil Rights Movement that we look forward to hosting in the future. Thank you ,thank you!” – Catherine R. Shteynberg, McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture
Chick History 