Week 5

After finishing my fifth week interning for the Evanston Women’s History Center, I feel like I am becoming more comfortable with the flow of the day. However, I did pack a full lunch this week and realized I forgot it once I had to switch over to the purple line. I rebounded on an empty stomach and was able to continue my search for the addresses of African American women suffragettes. I hit a bit of a wall this week in my research. I have found that when I find an activity or club that one of the women was involved in, I then have to really dive deep into the club’s history, as well as the history of the woman I am researching for. In the newspapers I have found, such as Broad ax, they will describe the activities and functions of the club, but never say where the club holds their meetings. It takes a lot of digging to pin down one location, but the feeling of success is worth the research. I feel like I am unveiling a story that is not known to most Americans. I never knew of most of these clubs or activities and I am a history major, so I feel like I am aiding in the telling of an important story. One of the most interesting pieces of data that I found this week was that Sadie Lewis Adams, an African American women suffragette, was a delegate at the Pan-American Congress, which collaborated with the National Women’s Voters’ Convention in Baltimore, Maryland. This Congress was held at 1 East Chase Street in Baltimore. I was unaware of this fact and I was really enthusiastic about researching more after I learned it. The vibe of the office is very relaxed. I’m not quite sure what our dress code even is, but I wear professional clothing just to be safe. I really enjoy the supervisors at the Evanston History Center because they all have unique backgrounds! I am excited to keep learning more!