Women’s Rights National Historical Park (NHP) will be holding Convention Days 2022, from July 15 through 17.
Convention Days has been a signature event in Seneca Falls for many years, focusing on the revolutionary 1848 Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention through art, drama, and scholarship. Held virtually for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park looks forward to once again welcoming visitors to the event onsite.
Convention Days 2022 explores the Abolitionist Roots of the Women’s Rights Movement and follows their growth to our modern future with expert historians, creative workshops, park ranger talks, living history, and family-friendly fun while Riding the Rails with Abolitionists on the Seneca Falls express train.
“The Abolition movement is where many women learned how to participate in activism and built the networks they would use to advance their mission for equality in other areas of society,” said Chief of Interpretation & Education, Janine Waller.
This year’s keynote speaker is author Elaine Weiss. Elaine Weiss is a Baltimore-based journalist and author. Her most recent book, The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote (Viking/Penguin) has won critical acclaim and was hailed as a “riveting, nail-biting political thriller” with powerful parallels to today’s political environment.
Other featured presenters include Dr. Janell Hobsen, Professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Her most recent work includes When God Lost Her Tongue: Historical Consciousness and the Black Feminist Imagination; and a role as guest editor of the Harriet Tubman project for Ms. magazine. Also joining the event is Dr. Kate Clifford Larson, best-selling author of acclaimed biographies, including Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. Her latest book, Walk With Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer, was one of Kirkus Review’s Best of 2021.
The traditional Welcoming Ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 16, with an address by park Superintendent Ahna Wilson. A schedule of events, including full details of the weekend’s programs, is available on the park website at https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/convention-days-2022.htm and on the park’s Facebook page. Some activities require registration in advance.
The Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park, and the National Park Service, will be hosting “Writing for Empowerment,” a virtual writing workshop, as part of the commemoration. This workshop will give participants an opportunity to discover their own voice and explore the tools used to fight for social justice – before the internet and social media.
Women’s Rights NHP and the Seneca Falls Historical Society will be hosting “Ride the Rails to Seneca Falls, NY.” This train ride lasts 90 minutes and includes living history programs. Tickets are on sale now on Seneca Falls Historical Society’s website http://sfhistoricalsociety.org/.
Convention Days activity will occur throughout Seneca Falls. Be sure to check out the entire schedule and other community museums for special events. This fun-filled weekend will be held rain or shine. Public parking is available throughout town and accessibility parking will be available behind the Women’s Rights NHP Visitor Center.
Anyone interested in volunteering for this event may contact Stephanie Freese by e-mailing WORI_information_desk@nps.gov or calling 315-515-7625.
Women’s Rights National Historical Park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/wori or call 315-568-2991.
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