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 Appalachian State University (App State) in Boone, North Carolina from October 22 – December 2, 2024. To learn more about how to visit the exhibition and attend related events and programs in Boone, please visit: https://gjs.appstate.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, Cumberland County Public Library in Fayetteville, and Alamance Community College in Graham. It is now on view at Appalachian State University in Boone. The tour will conclude at Henderson County Public Library in Hendersonville in January 2025.
Our heartfelt thoughts continue to be with all North Carolinians, especially those in Western North Carolina, who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. NC Humanities is working closely with Appalachian State University throughout the tour as area recovery continues.
We connected with Dr. Cathy Marcum, chair of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University, and Dr. Cary Fraser and Dr. Nancy Love, faculty members in the Government and Justice Studies department, to learn more about “Voices and Votes” at Appalachian State University.
Tell us about Appalachian State University!
Cathy: Appalachian State University is in downtown Boone, North Carolina. Boone is a small mountain town that has beautiful fall colors and amazing tourist opportunities. Since I started here in 2012, we have increased our student enrollment by about 5,000 students, and that is due to the quality of the programs we have here. We recently opened a second campus in Hickory, North Carolina which allows us to serve additional students in even more rural areas. Notably, my department is also currently involved in the kickoff of Project Kitty Hawk, which is an asynchronous online program for non-traditional learners, meaning adults who are already in the field, but want to come back and finish their degree. I like to tell parents that App State is a mid-size university: it has a small feel because of the relationships that students can have with their faculty and the research opportunities to work one-on-one with faculty; but it has a big university feel because of the resources available, the cultural events we host, and more.
What can people expect to experience when they visit “Voices & Votes” at Appalachian State University?
Cathy: With the presidential election taking place this year, the university has focused quite a bit on civic literacy, and this exhibition is really at the core of that. We’re excited to invite the community, local school children, and App State students and faculty to experience and learn from this timely exhibition. The exhibition will be in our Plemmons Student Union, which is an open access area. What’s unique about the exhibition being at App State is that Plemmons Student Union is a voting precinct, so individuals who come for early or Election Day voting can also visit the exhibition after or before they vote! We will have students giving information about the exhibition and handing out pocket constitutions and flag pins to those that visit. Anyone is welcome to stop by for a self-guided tour or you can ask for a faculty member or student-led tour. The Government & Justice Studies department has a lineup of civic-centered events, all of which can be viewed at: https://gjs.appstate.edu/events. Some of our events have been postponed due to Hurricane Helene, but with the university opening again, we are working to reschedule those soon.
Cary: When I heard about this opportunity from North Carolina Humanities, to bring a Smithsonian exhibition to campus, I thought it would be good for our community, especially those students who are not familiar with the notion that something like the Smithsonian exists. App State is in a rural environment. It’s part of a network of small communities. Bringing the Smithsonian to campus will give App State an opportunity to invite new groups of visitors from the surrounding Boone community to campus and will also be useful to our department’s curriculum. This exhibition will expose the community and our students to new educational opportunities, helping visitors to think more broadly about how we interact with government.
Nancy: The exhibition raises a lot of questions about what it means to be a citizen of a democracy – past, present, and future. I hope visitors will enjoy thinking about their responses to those questions. Visitors will also have a chance to explore complementary displays on local history. These feature how our community has participated in the larger national story of American democracy. They also show that democracy involves much more than what the government does, that democracy begins and ends with the daily lives of ordinary people in local communities.
Why are the humanities, history, education, and culture important?
Cary: From my perspective, a university’s role is to aid students in the acquisition of skills and in the development of their individual identities. Politics is part of that discovery phase. If students understand politics, they will be more effective citizens. I grew up in a political society where I had to become political by the time I was 16, and that changed how I thought about life.
Nancy: I really appreciate how the exhibition highlights the many facets of democratic participation. Although voting is central to democracy, citizens also express their political views in other ways, for example: wearing buttons, making posters, organizing marches, and singing songs. The exhibition features these multiple modes of political expression. In the process, it shows how different voices have shaped American democracy from its origins, and that democracy asks citizens to engage in an ongoing conversation about the meaning of justice.
Cathy: One of the great things about a university experience, whether you’re a student or even a community member, is the rich tapestry that all the disciplines provide when experienced together. The Government and Justice Studies department is a multidisciplinary department; we are within the school of Social Sciences and our department encompasses degrees in public administration, political science, and criminal justice. The amount that we learn from each other daily is fantastic. So then, when you introduce other courses like chemistry, English, and global studies, then students leave here with a more well-rounded view of the world, which allows them to make informed decisions and maybe even change their opinion about certain things.
How can people support your work?
Cathy: We always welcome guest speakers to come speak to classes or to student groups who are working in one of the fields in our department. Students love to hear from people that are doing the work. If anyone’s interested in that, they can always contact me! We also have a variety of scholarships in our department for students who want to attend or present at conferences but may need additional financial assistance to do so. If anyone’s interested in donating to support these scholarships, you can do so online. We try to do everything we can to make opportunities equal for all of our students.
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 exhibition 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.
Photos courtesy of Appalachian State University. Cover photo March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963 by Rowland Scherman.
