By JF Grodeska
LINCROFT – Visitors to Monmouth Museum’s new exhibit “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” will see historical and contemporary photos; multimedia interactives with short games and additional footage, photos and information; and historical objects such as campaign souvenirs, voter and protest memorabilia.
At the exhibit’s opening Saturday, Aug. 20, one visitor described the displays as “moving and powerful.” Another said the exhibit filled her with “pride in our country” and the realization of the hurdles that stood in the way of achieving the right to vote.
In a corner of the hall, away from the main exhibit, volunteers manned a small table where they helped visitors register to vote on the spot. The reception and exhibits created a renewal of patriotism and pride in many attendees, and a fervor to cast their vote come Election Day.
The exhibit is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution, the New Jersey Humanities Council and the Monmouth Museum. Designed for small-town museums, libraries and cultural organizations, “Voices and Votes” is based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History called “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith.”
The opening reception was held in the exhibit hall amidst powerful still images and video kiosks depicting the evolution of and struggles in voting rights since the inception of the United States.
David Stout, Ed.D., Brookdale Community College president, began the program addressing the complexity and collaboration of the project. He was followed by Matthew Reed, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs at Brookdale. Reed reminded guests that democracy is a rarity and is often fleeting. He explained that most of the world is ruled by authoritarian forms of government and the United States is unique in its democracy and the longevity of that democracy.
Monmouth County Commissioner Lillian Burry also addressed the crowd. “There is no more precious right to Americans than the right to vote, and there is no greater responsibility for Americans than to be an informed voter,” said Burry, who has continuously served on the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners since January 2006. “It is all too easy to vote for someone because of their race, or ethnic background, or some other obvious characteristic. These things shouldn’t matter. We can all have our individual interests, but there are a few things we should not ignore. The people who get our vote should have both character and commitment to fundamental American values.”
Other speakers included Valerie Popp, New Jersey Council for the Humanities director of Strategic Initiatives; Monmouth Museum executive director Erika Schaefer; and Jane Scimeca, author, women’s historian and professor of history. In addition, there was a sneak peek of the Suffragists Speak Reenactment performance by Gilda Rogers of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Northern Monmouth County Branch (NMCB).
Dinneen Jackson, Brookdale’s Museum on Main Street project director, detailed the complexities involved in developing the “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” exhibit at the Monmouth Museum, located on Brookdale’s Lincroft campus, and thanked the many people who contributed to the creation of the exhibit.
“Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” runs through Oct. 2. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission to the exhibit is free; to visit other areas of the museum, admission is $10.
The article originally appeared in the August 25 – 31, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
