North Carolina Humanities is proud to present the Smithsonian Institution exhibition “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America”. From revolution and suffrage, to civil rights and casting ballots, everyone in every community is part of this ever-evolving story – the story of democracy in America.
Six venues were selected by NC Humanities to host the exhibition around North Carolina in 2024-2025. As it travels, we are speaking with team members from each tour stop to discuss local issues, history, people, and stories, and to learn what visitors can expect to experience when they visit the exhibition in their space.
“Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” is on display at Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina from September 6 – October 17, 2024, during normal operating hours. To learn more about how to visit the exhibition and attend related events and programs in Graham, please visit: https://www.alamancecc.edu/.
The tour began at Iredell County Public Library in Statesville in April 2024 and the exhibition has since traveled to Southwest Brunswick Branch Library in Carolina Shores and Cumberland County Public Library in Fayetteville. It is now on view at Alamance Community College in Graham. After, it travels to Appalachian State University in Boone and concludes at Henderson County Public Library in Hendersonville in January 2025.
We connected with Sherri Singer, Department Head of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Alamance Community College, to learn more.
Tell us about your community and Alamance Community College!
Sherri: While Graham may look like an urban area because there is an interstate running through it, our area is very rural with lots of farmland. I knew this exhibition was a good fit for our community because very few of our students have had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC to see a Smithsonian museum. Bringing a Smithsonian exhibition here is a big deal. While “Voices & Votes” is on campus, we will have activities and programs for people of all ages. Recently, a lot of research has been done about how community colleges can recruit students. Of course, we are always interested in engaging with high school students, but community colleges should be thinking long-term. We need to make sure that every student knows that education is accessible. We want young children in Alamance County to know that we are a safe, accessible, community-minded resource for fun and education.
What can people expect to experience when they visit “Voices & Votes” at Alamance Community College?
Sherri: The exhibition is open anytime the college is open. It is on our main campus in the main building in our student activity center. One of the things we really wanted to do was to connect people to all our local museums to show that there are plenty of things do and take their children to right here in our community. There are eight museums in Alamance County and we’re going to have maps, banners, and information about each displayed at the exhibition to help raise awareness about them. When the exhibition leaves, we’re going to give those resources to those museums so that they can use them at festivals and events to promote themselves and enhance their longevity and sustainability. We also have three big speakers’ events. On Constitution Day, September 17, Sarah Koonts from the North Carolina Archives presented on North Carolina’s stolen Bill of Rights. On September 24, we had a speaker talk about the Edenton Tea Party as well as a tea party, and on October 1 people from Guilford Court House will be on campus for a discussion about protests.
On October 24 we are hosting a Constitution Carnival geared towards teaching young children about citizenship, local government, and local services like police and fire. We’ll also have interactive crafts, a story time with historic interpreters from Alamance Battleground, mascots visits from Leo the Lion from the library and McGruff the Crime Dog, giveaways, and more. One thing I’m really excited about is our “Meet the Mayor” activity. We’ve made mayor trading cards for of our mayors in Mebane, Graham, Burlington, and Haw River. All four of these mayors will be at the carnival greeting small kids, taking pictures, and handing out their trading cards. If you get all four trading cards, you get a prize! The trading cards feature information about their town and fun facts like their favorite ice cream, favorite superhero, favorite vegetable and more. Alamance Community College’s Student Government Association students will be volunteering throughout the day helping manage festival activities and interacting with families. Please get in touch with me if you would like to volunteer or donate. We would love for you to be part of our community and come see the exhibition!
Why are the humanities, history, and culture important?
Sherri: As a history teacher and department head at Alamance Community College, about 10 years ago I started organizing more humanities-based program opportunities for our community because I believe history is extremely valuable. The humanities are synonymous with where we come from; it’s our foundation. Shows like PBS’ Finding Your Roots are incredibly popular because people have a fundamental desire to know where they came from, and they want to know about their community. One of the most important things the humanities and history teach us about is ethics. I constantly say to my students the quote from Jurassic Park: “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” The humanities give us the ability to evaluate. We may not have the same values, but we can better understand each other through the humanities.
What has your experience working with North Carolina Humanities been like?
Sherri: North Carolina Humanities is there to help and guide you through your project every step of the way. NC Humanities has great virtual programming available and opportunities that allow community sites like Alamance Community College to bring new experiences into local communities. Alamance Community College hosted another Smithsonian exhibition “Water/Ways” during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and NC Humanities helped us adapt the experience to ensure public safety. The tour was very successful, and many people expressed to us that they were happy to have something fun and safe to do. We’ve been blessed with community support and with NC Humanities’ support. As an educator, working with NC Humanities has been icing on the cake.
About the exhibition: “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” is part of Museum on Main Street (MoMS), a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, including North Carolina Humanities, and local host institutions. “Voices and Votes” is based on a major exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. called “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith”. North Carolina Humanities has worked with SITES for over a decade to bring MoMS exhibitions to North Carolina’s small towns and rural communities. Support for MoMS has been provided by the U.S. Congress. Thank you to our 2024-2025 statewide tour sponsors: Our State Magazine, the National Humanities Center, and the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, as well as the many local sponsors supporting the exhibit in their community. A full tour itinerary is available at nchumanities.org. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
