Voices and Votes: Democracy on Delmarva
Expressions of democracy and community engagement have taken many forms throughout Delmarva’s history. From grievances about colonial taxation to the struggle for voting rights, participation in civic life is part of our past and present.
Voices and Votes: Democracy on Delmarva explores the mechanics of our democracy and highlights stories of rebellion, resistance, and perseverance that have shaped our region.
The Nabb Research Center is grateful to Maryland Humanities and the Museum on Main Street Program for selecting us to host Voices and Votes: Democracy in America and enabling us to bring a part of the Smithsonian to Salisbury.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in Delmarva was created as a companion to the Smithsonian exhibition. Participating in this program offered us the opportunity to explore stories and individuals from the Delmarva region that we hope will promote discussion and inspire students and visitors to think about the democratic process, activism, and civic engagement in our local community.
Credits
This exhibition was curated by Curator of Exhibitions and Engagement Melinda McPeek, along with Nabb Center Archivists Ian Post and Jen Piegols, and Nabb Center Director Creston Long. Several local museums and organizations contributed stories and items from their collections to the exhibition. We thank the Ocean City Life-Saving Museum, the Ward Museum, the Worcester County Library, the Taylor House Museum, and the Eastern Shore Public Library for their contributions and participation in this project. Numerous Salisbury University students also contributed to the exhibition through cataloging collections, researching and digitizing materials, and writing exhibition text. We thank the following students for their assistance: Marianna Agazio, Samantha Steltzer, Rihana Stevenson, Sabrina Tarver, and Sandra Zelaya. In addition, we thank University of Maryland field study intern Nicole Kulp and Mardela High School student Shannon Cottingham for their assistance.