We all know the quote “well-behaved women seldom make history” from historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. People usually interpret this as a call to action, a call for women to challenge and misbehave – something we can definitely get behind. The intended meaning, however, is that well-behaved women are unjustly ignored by history. Maybe that includes women like your mother, grandmother, aunt, teacher or neighbour. Women’s stories matter, regardless who they are, what they’ve experienced or where they’re from. And it’s not only “well-behaved” women whose stories have been neglected; women of any class, race, age and gender-identity deserve to be heard and valued.
We all have incredible women in our lives and in our families who have lived and laboured both in and out of the home: raising children, cooking, cleaning, volunteering, sewing, creating art, entertaining, socializing, dating, working and infinitely more. Some people don’t think that such “normal” women have stories worth being told.
We do. And we want to hear them.
One of the key aspects of the Halifax Women’s History Society (HWHS) mission is to share and highlight women’s history, which is too often undervalued and neglected. We will be hosting a series of events in the Spring of 2019 in the hopes of sharing local women’s history through photos, letters, newspaper clippings, recipes, and any other documents. Participants will be encouraged to bring family photos and documents to the event to be scanned, and they will receive high-quality scanned digital copies of the items. This will allow people to keep their original documents while helping the HWHS to build our digital archive cataloguing women’s history.
Family stories are precious, and too often we don’t realize that until it’s too late. Use this opportunity to connect with the people in your life – you’ll be surprised by some of the amazing stories people have to share. Not only are those stories an important part of individual families, but also of the larger history of Halifax, of Nova Scotia and of Canada.
Tell us about your mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, neighbour or teacher – someone who has been special in your life.
Join us for an afternoon of stories and snacks on any of these dates:
- Sunday, April 28, 2019, 3-5pm, Alderney Gate Public Library (Maxine Tynes Room)
- Saturday, May 4, 2019, 1-3pm, North End Memorial Library (Large half of Terry Symonds Room)
- Sunday, May 19, 2019, 1-3pm, Halifax Central Library (BMO Community Room)