Women’s activism in U.S. honored Briscoe Center exhibit

By Nataleah Small

Reporting Texas

AUSTIN, TX–The Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin opened an exhibit dedicated to women’s activism in the U.S.

The exhibit called “‘On with the Fight!’ Women’s Activism in the Briscoe Center Collections’ opened in late February and is scheduled to close mid-July.

Inside the exhibit, visitors can view old newspapers, posters and military uniforms. Olive Black, creative director for the exhibit, said the objects and photographs represent different times in history and types of activism.

“We’ve got women’s suffrage, we have (Equal Rights Amendment), we have organizing, representation, women in politics and women in the armed forces,” Black said.

Sarah Sonner, associate director for curation at the Briscoe Center, said the uniforms were worn by a former UT student, Annabel Murray, a first-recruit in the women’s coast guard.

“(We have her) summer uniform, we also have her winter uniform as well as her other objects that she collected…related to her military career,” Sonner said.

Erin McClelland is the director of operations for the exhibit. McClelland said the designers referenced materials from the Briscoe Center collections when they decided on the color scheme for the exhibit.

“The purple was a color associated with the women’s suffrage movement in the 1910s,” McClelland said. “The yellow that you see throughout (the exhibit) is actually inspired by a banner that’s handing in the exhibit that’s an artifact on display. So the colors have a little bit of historical inspiration as well.”

Visiting the exhibit is one way for people to see what activism looks like in action, McClelland said.

“I think it’s important for people to know what they do in terms of activism can have a real effect in people’s lives to improve them for the better,” McClelland said.

If people are interested in viewing the documents and photographs on display more closely, they can request them for viewing in the Briscoe Center reading room once the exhibit closes, Sonner said.

However, due to the spread of COVID-19 the University campus, including the Briscoe Center, is currently closed until further notice.