Northwestern Michigan College Virtual Event Series
NOTE: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s appearance at the planned October 16 event below has been cancelled.
Thursday, Sept 17, 7 p.m. – Constitution Day Panel Discussion:
“The Constitution’s Suffrage Amendments: Giving Voice to Those Who Were Not Silent”
Presenters Mindy Morton and John Zachman will discuss the 15th, 19th, and 24th amendments and the individuals and groups whose political actions saw those amendments become political reality. Ms. Morton will focus on the role of minority women in pushing for women’s rights at different points in American history. Dr. Zachman will analyze how the 15th amendment fell short of its promise in much of the country and how the 24th Amendment finally put the country on a track towards political equality. Ms. Morton and Dr. Zachman will also evaluate how these amendments impact our current political climate and elections.
Hosted by Mindy Morton, NMC Adjunct Instructor of History and John Zachman, NMC Instructor of Political Science and Philosophy
John Zachman has been an instructor at NMC since 2001. He teaches courses in political science and philosophy. He earned his Ph.D. in political theory in 2006 with a dissertation on the political thought of John Stuart Mill.
Mindy Morton has been an instructor at NMC since 2001, teaching courses in U.S. History, Native-American History and American Women’s History. She is a James Madison Memorial Fellow and earned a MS in Constitutional History in 1999.
Zoom Link: https://nmc.zoom.us/j/
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Voter Registration Drive
The League of Women Voters – Grand Traverse Area volunteers will be located in the NMC West Hall Innovation Center to register new voters from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. – “A Discussion on Elections and Voting with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson”
Secretary Benson will be sharing information and her expertise on issues surrounding voter access in Michigan as well as information regarding the upcoming election and the recent actions in the state to reduce partisan gerrymandering. Secretary Benson will speak for approximately 30 minutes and then will participate in a live question and answer discussion. Participants can submit questions via the Zoom Q & A function.
Jocelyn Benson is Michigan’s 43rd Secretary of State. In this role she is focused on ensuring elections are secure and accessible. Benson is the author of State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process, the first major book on the role of the secretary of state in enforcing election and campaign finance laws. She is also the Chair of Michigan’s Task Force on Women in Sports, created by Governor Whitmer in 2019 to advance opportunities for women in Michigan as athletes and sports leaders. A graduate of Harvard Law School and expert on civil rights law, education law and election law, Benson served as dean of Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. When she was appointed dean at age 36, she became the youngest woman in U.S. history to lead a top-100, accredited law school.
Hosted by Rachel Wilczewski, Ph.D. Sociology Instructor at Northwestern Michigan College
Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m. – “A Century of Gender Justice Activism” by Caroline Heldman, Ph.D., Chair of Critical Theory and Social Justice Department, Chair of Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies at Occidental College. Co-Founder of The Matrix Webinar Series
It’s been 100 years since women earned the right to vote. Dr. Heldman will present a timeline of the last century of gender justice activism with a focus on progress and pitfalls. She will analyze the current status of women in the US after a century of pushing for gender justice.
Hosted by Shilo Smith, MS, Psychology Instructor at Northwestern Michigan College.
Zoom Link: https://nmc.zoom.us/j/94968308718
Friday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m. – “The Lesson of the Lark” Virtual Choral Concert
The Northwestern Michigan College Music Department, in collaboration with the NMC Audio Tech and Visual Communications programs, is pleased to announce the premiere of “The Lesson of the Lark” – a new concert work celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of Women’s Voting Rights. This piece, which is meant to uplift and unify us during these challenging times, is a multi-movement work composed for narrator, soprano and mezzo-soprano soloists, chorus, and jazz orchestra. The work takes its inspiration from the language of Jazz, including elements of Swing, Blues, Bossa Nova ,Gospel, Salsa, and improvisation.
“The Lesson of the Lark,” is based on local author Laura Knight Cobb’s recently published book of the same name. The book, written to celebrate this year’s 100th Anniversary of the ratification of Women’s Voting Rights, is a dramatic interpretation of the struggle for women’s voting rights, told through the characters of a Girl, a Lark, and a Gardener, in beautiful prose and stunning artwork. A portion of the proceeds from the book’s sales go to the Equal Means Equal organization whose goal is to complete the ratification of the original Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution.
Hosted by Jeffrey Cobb, Director of Music Programs.
Sign up for free tickets to the virtual event at MyNorthTickets. Those who register for the performance will receive a link to view the premiere and pre-premiere talk shortly before the event.