Staff members are pictured with the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibition of Voices and Votes: Democracy in America. The exhibit opens later this week at the Robert H. Jackson Center.
The Robert H. Jackson Center will host the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibition of Voices and Votes: Democracy in America from Sept. 6 to Oct. 18.
The Voices and Votes exhibition is adapted from American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Voices and Votes includes historical and contemporary photographs, educational and archival video, engaging multimedia interactives, and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material. The Jackson Center is the fourth site to host the exhibit since it opened at Preservation Long Island in March. It continues at seven more sites through 2025.
Born and raised in the area, Robert H. Jackson is remembered as one of the finest legal writers in history of the Supreme Court. His work prosecuting Nazi leaders at the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg after World War II established important precedents in international criminal law. The Robert H. Jackson Center, now in its 25th year, is a museum, research center, and cultural venue focused on educational programming and advancing the principles of justice, law, and human rights.
Through the Jackson Center’s companion exhibit, The Story Of Our Participation, the center has partnered with community organizations to highlight the significance of adding democratic artifacts of local significance, including antique voting equipment, vintage political cartoons, and Jackson’s Supreme Court chair.
“Voices and Votes is a wonderful way to celebrate Jamestown’s rich history and the Center’s mission while creating an opportunity to work with our partners to bring a Smithsonian exhibit to the area,” said Kristan McMahon, Robert H. Jackson Center president. “This opportunity perfectly aligns with our mission to educate our communities on issues of justice and civic participation, and the center is the perfect venue to host this exhibit. Jamestown was the home of the American Voting Machine Company, and we’re looking forward to working with the Fenton History Center, Chautauqua County Historical Society, Chautauqua Institution, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, and other community partners to tell the story of our region as a seat of the democratic process.”
Accompanying the exhibits are a series of programs hosted by the Jackson Center that use the exhibitions as a launching point to explore, reflect on, and tell the story of their role in the evolution of American Democracy and envision the future of the nation as it approaches the United States’ semiquincentennial.
They include:
– Constitution Day Presentation by Dr. Karen Korematsu on Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. Korematsu is the daughter of the civil rights leader and plaintiff in Korematsu v. United States, will reflect on the 80th anniversary of the historic case in which Jackson dissented to the constitutionality of an executive order requiring Japanese-Americans from the United States’ west coast to be interned during World War II.
-Community Conversation led by Joe Murphy from Humanities New York at 5 p.m. Sept. 24. Murphy will host “The Freedom and Responsibilities of Citizenship,” part of the Humanities Discussion series, “A New Agora for New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy,” organized by MANY. The public is invited to attend and be part of the conversation. The discussion is free and open to the public.
– Educator Workshop – In partnership with the state Office of Cultural Education and MANY, the Jackson Center will host a hybrid educator workshop on Oct. 4 where teachers can explore the ideals of democracy in America. The workshop is applicable for Continuing Teacher and Leader Education credit. Registration details will be sent to teachers in the near future.
– Scholar Lecture by Andrew Perrin, SNF-Agora Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, will provide an opportunity for the community to participate in Jackson’s legacy of active, civic participation. Event details are to be determined.
– OurStoryBridge. The Jackson Center is asking the public to share short stories about their relationship with democracy in a recording studio set up in the center’s library. The Jackson Center has long collected oral histories, though the Our Story Bridge is the first time the center is collecting stories from the public at-large. To schedule a time to record a story during the exhibit’s residency, contact a staff member at 716-483-6646, email info@roberthjackson.org, or visit the Jackson Center’s website.
For more information visit the events calendar at RobertHJackson.org/events/ for more details.
The Robert H. Jackson Center is one of 12 museums participating in A New Agora For New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy. This state-wide project brings the Voices and Votes: Democracy in America exhibition by the Museum on Main Street, a part of the Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition Services, a Humanities Discussion Series, and professional development resources to participating museums across the state.
“The residents of Jamestown have a history of active participation in American Democracy,” said Agora Project Fellow, Ren Lee. “From the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson to the Jamestown-based companies that revolutionized the voting process with automatic voting machines, the Center has a unique opportunity to share stories of civic engagement. We’re excited to hear those stories from the past and learn how the Center continues Jackson’s influence and encourages active participation in democracy today.”