Atlantic Cape to host women’s suffrage talk with Cape May County Clerk Rita Rothberg on International Women’s Day

Who were the women in Cape May County who fought for voting rights? 

Join Cape May County Clerk Rita Rothberg for a talk exploring the local women’s suffrage movement on March 8 – International Women’s Day – at Atlantic Cape Community College’s Cape May County campus. The presentation is part of a series of events at Atlantic Cape centered around America’s voting history, in preparation for the college hosting the traveling Smithsonian exhibition, “Voices and Votes,” this summer.

Atlantic Cape was chosen recently to host the Smithsonian’s “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” exhibition, presented by Museum on Main Street in cooperation with New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The exhibition will be on display at the Atlantic Cape’s Mays Landing campus July 11 through Aug. 13.

“We are thrilled to have a piece of the Smithsonian institution rest on our campus for several weeks this summer,” said Dr. Denise Coulter, Dean of Professional and Liberal Studies at Atlantic Cape. “Whether it is because of the limits imposed by the pandemic, distance, finances or availability, some of our citizens might never have an opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. to see an exhibition like this.”

The college plans to host panel discussions and guest speakers monthly until the exhibition opens. 

“We are truly honored to have a local expert like Ms. Rothberg, an alumna of Atlantic Cape, deliver this talk,” said Coulter, who is organizing the events. “We are shaping programming and educational activities that will be complementary to the themes of the Smithsonian exhibition. Look for more events that will shine a spotlight on the local people and activists who broadened voter's rights, amplified American voices and created opportunities for citizens of Atlantic and Cape May counties to participate in the democratic process.”

Future speakers and dates will be announced soon.

Rothberg’s presentation, “The Voice is our Vote: Cape May County and Suffrage,” will focus on suffragettes in Cape May County. The 45-minute talk, followed by a question and answer session, will be held in-person at 2 p.m. at the Cape May County campus, 341 Court House-South Dennis Road, and remotely via Zoom at https://atlantic-edu.zoom.us/j/98668135822 (Webinar ID: 986 6813 5822).

Rothberg, formerly Rita Marie Fulginiti, has been County Clerk since 2005. In addition, Rothberg serves as chairwoman on the Cape Women’s Resource Fund, Inc., a New Jersey nonprofit established to promote equal rights and the achievements of women.  

The “Voices and Votes” exhibition examines the nearly 250-year-old American experiment of a government “of, by and for the people,” and how each generation since continues to question how to form “a more perfect union.”

The display includes historical and contemporary photos, educational and archival video, engaging multimedia interactives with short games, and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material.

“Voices and Votes” is based on an exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History called “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith.” It is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

"Voices and Votes" has been made possible at Atlantic Cape Community College by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

To learn more, visit museumonmainstreet.org.