The Museum of The City of New York

At the Museum of the City of New York, I learned a lot about the changes that people are trying to make and/or have been trying to make.  There were many issues, and if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't be able to name most of them.  The issues that stuck out to me the most were women equality, racial equality, and gay/lesbian marriage.  I had no idea that people have been working on these topics for so long, or of some of the things that they have done, even though I have learned about these issues in school before.

Before I saw this exhibit, I thought that women suffrage had began early in the 20th century, but it had actually began much earlier.  The first time that women spoke about their issues was in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848, which makes me about fifty years off.   One of the other things I thought was interesting about this exhibit was that it was very well organized and showed many pictures and videos that really brought you there, to what it had been like.  This was especially true for the section on African-American rights.  There was one video with a woman's voice over that showed how truly painful it had been to feel isolated, like no one wanted her.  I have learned about this topic many times, but it truly took me to a much deeper level of understanding.  The section of gay rights also took me deeper through videos and many photos.  I realized how long gay and lesbian people have been fighting for rights, and how much they have accomplished.  But from another angle, you see how little it is, and how unfair it is to them.

This exhibit makes me want to have basic human rights for everyone, no matter their race, gender, or who they love.  Every group of people should be given equal oppurtunities.