Immaculate Heart High School

Participating teachers: Caitlin Ross (Lead Teacher / Art) and Masha Tatarintseva (Art Teacher)

Given the intensity of our world at this moment it makes it particularly important for us to see and understand how one person can make a difference and a change for a brighter future, if the desire is strong enough to do so. I can't think of a better way to help us understand the time we are living in as women and that our actions and words can make a difference in the future. Learning about the suffragists and our student family histories, from the struggles and achievements they have made as long as a century ago, I hope our students have taken a little bit of that knowledge with them into their future. They made some technically sound and beautiful drawings and paintings along the way too!

My OWN PERSONAL STORY –

My grandparents on my father’s side — Slegr family — immigrated to America from the Czech Republic in 1951 and transferred through Ellis Island. My father remembers vivid stories of listening to his parents discuss American politics at the table during meals in Czech. My grandmother on my father’s side first voted either in 1956 for Eisenhower or in 1960 for John F. Kennedy. She definitely voted in 1960 though, for Kennedy.

My mother’s mom, my grandmother — Grace Chamberlain — was married to my grandfather — Robert Lee Chamberlain — who was an Army Colonel, who fought in the Korean war and the Vietnam war three times. He was promoted to General, but because he didn’t agree with the Vietnam war towards the end of his tours there, his promotion was taken away. My mother came from a very political family, partially because of the military relationships in the family, but also the intense interest in history and American politics. My mother protested the Vietnam war and remembers voting first in 1968 for Herbert Humphrey. She remembers being very “depressed” when Nixon won. My grandmother was very involved in following politics her entire life, and voted for the “best candidate”, not necessarily sticking to any particular party. She first voted in 1948 for Harry S. Truman.