Historic women’s relics displayed at HGARC

Boston University students held tiny pieces of women’s history in their hands on Tuesday night.
The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center hosted ‘Women Trailblazers,’ the second event in their Student Discovery Seminar, during which eight female attendees were allowed to handle the documents of six women who made history.
‘Women’s history is everyone’s history,’ Acquisitions Coordinator Jennifer Pino said. ‘I wanted to do this topic, because women before us have made a trail for what’s going on now.’
The event, which occurred at the Gotlieb Center, also featured Carrie Preston, a BU assistant English and women’s studies professor. The women gave short speeches about the importance of studying influential women, as students donned white cloth gloves to handle the documents.
‘As we’re watching our candidates on the campaign trail, it’s easy to forget about the trailblazers,’ Preston said. ‘That’s why I believe very much in the project of the Gotlieb Archive, because they readily and willingly share so much with undergraduates. My field and their field share so much.’
Preston referenced black poet Nikki Giovanni’s letters and book of poetry, as she spoke about Giovanni’s impact on modern poetry from civil rights to hip-hop.
Other documents on display included a letter written to several newspaper editors from political activist Emma Goldman, notes from a 1965 United Nations Security Council meeting regarding Russo-American relations from journalist Martha Gellhorn and notes on how to form a better hospital using nurse pioneer Florence Nightingale’s influence
‘I like that you can read the actual manuscripts,’ College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Larissa Martchenko said. ‘It’s interesting because it’s tangible.’
This is the fourth year the Gotlieb Center has hosted the Student Discovery Seminars, Manuscripts Assistant Director Ryan Hendrickson said.
‘We host these, because it is an experience students can’t get anywhere else,’ he said. ‘Being in the presence of some of these things is really amazing. It brings a physical connection.’
College of Communication freshman Amanda Kozar said she attended the seminar for her women’s studies class, but was intrigued by the archives.
‘I think it’s interesting to look at actual documents from influential women,’ she said. ‘It represents how women’s issues are coming to the front.’
This is the second time Preston has teamed up with the Gotlieb Center, she said after the seminar.
‘This event makes women’s history interesting and makes history and literature come alive for students,’ she said. ‘It incites creativity.’
Pino helped choose which women to feature in the seminar, she said.
‘I picked this one, because I was very interested in women’s history, journalism, arts and politics,’ she said.
CAS senior Mackie Welch said she was interested in the archives and thinks BU should celebrate its women trailblazers more often.
‘We have a lot of awesome women in our archives at BU,’ she said. ‘I believe this is pertinent since there has been a lot of discussion about women leaders lately.’