Movements and Causes

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Behind-the-Scenes Thursday, February 11, 2021

The Long Fight for Educational Equity in NYC

In the fall of 2020, the Museum’s Frederick A.O. Schwarz Education Center began its series “Examining Equity in NYC,” looking at the historical roots of today’s movements for change. In this post, we dive into the stories from our workshop on the movement to desegregate the city’s public schools and offer resources for educators and students.
Women voting, likely just after women's suffrage was legalized. Poster in the corner reads "Women vote for president".
Movements and Causes Friday, August 21, 2020

100 Years with the 19th Amendment

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of voting rights for women, we look at how this has spurred digital initiatives, new monuments, collaborative consortiums, new scholarship and nuanced conversations that complicate the legacy of the suffrage movement and demonstrate the significant yet partial victory of the amendment.
A black and white photograph of three nurses standing around a patient in a hospital bed.
Movements and Causes Friday, April 24, 2020

Echoes of Epidemics Past:

Infectious disease has repeatedly shaped and challenged our city. In fact, before the 20th century, contagion was the overwhelming fact of life – and death – in New York.
Poster with the words "Give Earth A Chance" above, a room with blue walls and a green floor and a globe hovering in the middle below.
Movements and Causes Monday, April 13, 2020

"A Future Worth Living?"

April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in New York City and nationwide. Learn more about the first Earth Day and how it has shaped environmentalism and informs our thinking today.
Mitchell Hartman, “Defiant” 2020 © Mitchell Hartman
City Arts Wednesday, April 1, 2020

#CovidStoriesNYC

We invite everyone to share photos—taken from an appropriately socially-distanced perspective—documenting personal experiences during this challenging time. Post those images on Instagram using the hashtag #CovidStoriesNYC, and tag @museumofcityny.
Installation Shot of Germ City: Microbes and the Metropolis, with a crowd looking at the exhibition.
Movements and Causes Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Germ City: How Past Epidemics Can Shape Our Knowledge of the Coronavirus

New York is a resilient city that has a long, complex, and fascinating history of battling infectious disease and epidemics. This was presented in the exhibition "Germ City: Microbes and the Metropolis," on view September 2018–April 2019. Take a look at these resources and see how they can put our response to the current coronavirus outbreak in context.