This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Michael Walker (00:00): In my opinion, civic engagement is really the way that we as a people interact with our communities. And I think one of the most important ways that we interact with our community is through the voting process and, and really making sure that we're tuned in to who our elected officials are, not only at the local level, but at the federal level. And one of the ways that I try to bring that democracy into my community, into my home is through making the voting process, the caucusing process, the primary process, a family affair.

(00:29): And I have two young children, eight and 10, and they have been with me through every year of voting, whether it's the city council, whether it's the school board, or whether it's the president. And, I think it's really important to have them walk with me to the polls and see the process and make sure that they know it's not a scary process, and make sure that when they do get to a voting age, they feel comfortable going into those voting booths.

(00:51): But also that changes that, or that goes down to making sure that they're part of the caucus process here in the state of Iowa, which is an important process in the presidential election from a national perspective, but also from our responsibility as Iowans to that national process, making sure that they know what it means to caucus and how that works, and having fun with the process and interacting with the presidential candidates that come through Iowa on a regular basis when it gets to that time. And while it could be exhausting, we make sure that we have fun with the kids and make sure that they're incorporated into that experience.

Asset ID: 2023.03.02.b

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Abby Huff (00:00): When I turned 18, voting for me wasn't something I was interested in. I knew it was something I could do. I knew that it was part of my civic liberty, but I didn't care. but that changed in 2012 when President Obama was running. I heard one of his speeches and it really gave me a sense of duty and civic pride.

(00:34): And I realized I had to educate myself. And, then the more I did, the more I learned about the suffragettes and how a hundred years ago, if I would've been born, I would not have been able to vote. So the fact that these women fought for our right to vote they were starved; they were injured, killed, really influenced me. And now, voting is probably my favorite thing to do. Every, every time I can vote, I vote.

Asset ID: 2023.03.01.b

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Jillian Hartley (00:00): I'm Jillian Hartley, and my first voting experience was in a small town in the Missouri Bootheel. And so I was somebody raised in a very political family and I was very excited about getting to vote. And so I had registered to vote just a few days after I turned 18. And so when I went to the voting booth, it was a very small place, and when I went in, it was a primary and I actually asked for a ballot from a political party. They had not taken the ballots out of the plastic for that party yet, but they actually had a stack of the other party, a big, huge stack just ready to hand out. And so when I asked for the other ballot, they said, "Oh, nobody ever asks for that." And then they actually opened up the package and they handed me the paper ballot. So then I went into the little booth and I pulled the curtain behind me, and while I was in the booth filling out the ballot, I could hear the poll workers saying, "Well, you know, her dad votes that way too."

(00:56): I was from California originally, and so we were kind of considered to be transplants in the area, but they went on to say, "Yeah, and I think a few others of her family vote that way too." So when I came out and I kind of handed my ballot and I walked out, it was my first experience voting and it was not what I had expected, needless to say.

(01:19) I choose to vote and I have never missed a presidential election, and I try not to miss any kind of midterm election and even local elections because I was raised in a very political household. I was the type of person who, when I was a child, my father was engaging me in political conversations and talking politics. And then I went on to major in history. And one of the things that always stood out to me was the fact that it took a very long time for certain groups in this country to gain the right to vote. And so to me, it's just something a responsible citizen should do and take seriously.

(01:53): It really is the most important element in a democracy for us to be able to choose the people who govern us and to also hold them accountable. When I look at the younger generations, really the millennials and Gen Z, I think that there are a lot of issues weighing on them, and one of the things that worries me is that they don't seem to be as active in the political processes they probably should be, and there have to be reasons for that. I think it's the responsibility of people from other generations to explain to them and show them why it's important to be a part of the political process, because they have a lot of issues they're worried about. They're worried about what the environment is going to be like. They're worried about population growth, overpopulation, the depletion of resources. These are things that seem to be a big part or be a source of anxiety for them. At the same time too, I worry that they don't know how much they can do to change the political process and to make those things more of a priority.

Asset ID: 2023.02.06.c-d

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Jillian Hartley (00:00): I think my responsibilities as a citizen is to stay abreast of the issues, and to try to stay informed, and to always take into account different viewpoints when it comes to issues. And so I think that that is my responsibility, in addition to voting and being active in the community.

(00:18) As far as what makes somebody a good citizen, I think that comes in many, many different forms. But I think really, it's having the drive to, one, do something for your community, and contribute to the best of your ability. And of course, I think voting is a major part of that.

(00:37) We are in a country where voting was limited initially, where most people were not a part of the process. And to be a true democracy, most people should want to be a part of the process. So, as somebody who really prizes citizenship, I really think it's important to have to follow the laws and to do your citizenship duties. I didn't say that very well, did I?

(01:04) But to do your duty as a citizen. And one time when I was a teenager, I was a teenager back when people would cruise and stuff like that. I was actually in a parking lot with other teenagers. And across the street, a man actually pulled up in a truck and got out and assaulted a woman who was walking down the street. And people watched him grab her, and hit her. And it was very, very traumatic.

(01:31) So we weren't really sure what to do. We were very young. And within a few days, the husband of this woman actually came to my house and he said, "I was wondering if you would sign a statement saying that you saw this happen." Which I clearly had, along with a lot of other people. And I said, well, yes, I'll do that because he should not have assaulted her that way.

(02:00) And he said, "Well, I'm really glad you said that. Because I've gone to everybody else who was on that parking lot, and not a single person is willing to do it."

(02:08) And I said, "Well, I will." Because that's what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to look out for each other, and you're supposed to try to make sure that if somebody is hurt, that the law is able to do what it needs to do, to try to make the situation better for that person.

Asset ID: 2023.02.06.b

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Felicia Smith (00:00): I would like to talk to you about my hometown, Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, which is located on the northeast side in the Delta region of Arkansas on the Mississippi River. When I was growing up, I always saw the difference. It was a Black and a White issue all the time. Still similar to that till today. Well, the Blacks stayed on one side of the track. The Whites stayed on the other side of the track, and so if a Black person was running for office in a particular ward, then that person usually, because Blacks were 30% and the Whites were 70%, usually you wouldn't win unless you had Whites to support you. And so we always had that issue.

(00:48): And then because of that issue, there was always court cases. There was always something going on, or there were issues with the White people trying to take the Black people to court and trying to degrade them or defactor them because they ran for this.

(01:07): I remember a friend of mine's husband, Theo Parham, he ran for mayor and he literally ran for mayor. He was a runner. He ran and he would hold his campaign sign as he ran. But a little before that election came out or the results of it came out, all of a sudden you heard things that they were trying to send him to prison. So he had to spend a lot of money just to stay out of prison because of the votes, because they were saying that he had gotten some things going on with the votes, to sway the votes or what have you.

(01:38): But I'll tell you one interesting thing too, another interesting thing is that in West Helena, there were sometimes, when people try to go to the polling places, there were people standing there and there's a certain proximity that you had to be in. Well, these people sometimes would cross the proximity, so then that causes things to happen at that time. So that was a little scary for me at my voting location.

Asset ID: 2023.02.05.d

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Felicia Smith (00:00): Hello, my name is Felicia Petty Smith. I am from West Helena, Arkansas. However, I live in Fort Smith at this present time. I've been in Fort Smith for 21 years now. I've always voted. I voted since I was 18. It was like it was a standard within our family to vote, even up to this day. And, I will tell you why, because there is power in our bloodline. What I mean by that is that long ago, my grandmother, Josetta, and Samuel McCoy, had to walk on dusty roads to a country store, and they had to pay poll tax to vote. So, if they paid those poll taxes to vote, and I can vote free, as a citizen it is my duty to do that.

(00:47): Also, we had Dennis Martin, who was one of the slaves from back in the day. He came into that same area way ahead of time to my grandmother, and he built a school, taught everybody else to read. And then the neighborhood would come around and gather around while he read the newspaper to the community to keep them informed of what was going on.

(01:13): But let me tell you the reason why it's important for me to vote. It's very important to me because of that reason, and plus, I'm free. I'm a citizen of the United States. I have a right, a civil right to vote, so I want to vote.

(01:28): Now, I have another story. I have a story that involves my daughter and myself. We attended... Well, as a matter of fact, my husband, my daughter, and myself, we went to vote together when Barack Obama was running for President in 2007. So, we did that vote, we took pictures and everything. My daughter was in Nashville, Tennessee, but she was voting absentee so she came home, and we did that as a family event.

(01:59): The next thing is that my daughter and I, we attended the Inauguration together, even with who is now her husband. And interesting enough, US Senator John Boozman, gave us the tickets to attend. And I have been knowing him in the past from going up to the Capital, and taking leadership trainings from him. He had selected me to do that. So I had a way in, or a shoe in, as you can say. But anyway, we went to the Inauguration. We got to do the concert the night before, and then just standing in the Mall between the US Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, it reminded me of Martin Luther King giving that speech there, and there were masses of people. So it took me to a spirit of that event also. So, that's basically one of the events that we had, and I'll never forget it.

Asset ID: 2023.02.05.b

This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."

Cody Wyatt (00:00): So I think being a good citizen is, first, making sure you show up to the polls when it comes time to vote, but it also goes so far beyond that. It means when you have problems in your community, showing up to city council meetings, telling your elected officials who represent you and who you put in there what the problems are, how you think they could fix them. And if they can't fix them, then you go higher than that. You talk to the mayor. You figure out everything that you can do to solve this problem, but if you just sit around and you complain about the problem and you don't try to get help from these elected officials who are there to help you, it's never going to go away. It will only get worse.

(00:39): And so I also think that being a good citizen is cleaning up the trash in your yard and in the park when you go to the park. It's pulling in your neighbor's trash can when she's elderly. It's things like that that just make the world a more beautiful place and loving where you are. I believe that if you love what you have, the world will be better. It just will.

(01:03): And I think someone in my town who really exemplifies that is my mayor. He is such a leader, and he always puts the needs of every citizen in our town first. He's actually our first black mayor in Blytheville, and he gets a lot of hate for that, to be honest, and he just keeps pushing anyways. He has made so many strides to make Blytheville better and to treat everyone equally and not cheat the system like it has been cheated in the past. And I believe that's why he's still in his position three times in a row. He's served the citizens of Blytheville, and I really admire him for that and I look up to him, and one day I want to be him in his position. And so he's a good role model for me.

Asset ID: 2023.02.04.f

The Peale in Baltimore regularly hosts community art exhibitions like the 2022 presentation of "A Feast in the Desert: Food Insecurity in Baltimore," curated by Alexis Tyson and supported by numerous community partners, such as the Outkast Food Network, the Maryland Food Bank, and the Baltimore Hunger Project.

This show shares the artists' voices in appreciating the role food plays in strengthening our bonds and educating our community on food disparity in Baltimore.

Alexis Tyson (00:01): Hi, my name is Alexis Tyson and I'm here with Lawrence Sanders. He is one of our partners, a part of the a Feast and Desert Exhibition, and we'll be sharing a little bit more about his organization. First, could you give us the name?

Lawrence Sanders (00:18): Yes. The name of the organization is Outkast Food Network.

Alexis Tyson (00:23): And where are you guys located?

Lawrence Sanders (00:24): We're located in Baltimore City, 2620 Quantico Avenue in the Park Heights neighborhood.

Alexis Tyson (00:30): And what is you guys' mission?

Lawrence Sanders (00:31): Wow. It's out. We have an incredible mission. We're focused in on providing well-rounded services for the needy, primarily focused in on food, health and providing job skills.

Alexis Tyson (00:48): How long have you guys been in operation?

Lawrence Sanders (00:50): We've been in operation since November of 2017, and we just celebrated our five year anniversary.

Alexis Tyson (00:59): Congratulations.

Lawrence Sanders (01:00): Thank you.

Alexis Tyson (01:01): What are some of the resources that you guys offer to the community?

Lawrence Sanders (01:06): Yes, so very proud about the growth of Outkast Food Network. As you asked about our how long we've been in existence, five years. We first started out, we were, started out feeding 100 homeless people, hot meals. And so that grew over time, especially because there's so many families that fell into food insecurity because of job loss due to Covid-19. We then started providing groceries for families. And so we now have five grocery distributions per month and we provide enough food to feed 3,200 people.

(01:44): We also have a SNAP application program in which we connect people to the Maryland State Department of Human Resources, check their eligibility, and then we actually go through and complete the application with them as there are many folks that don't have internet, don't have computers. And guess what? The application can be a little challenging and then one last program of ours that I'll mention is our Covid-19 vaccine clinic. It's a mobile clinic. it's important to us that we help keep our community safe. We also educate individuals around hesitancy and some of the myths around the Covid-19 vaccine. And man, it's been a year and a half with that program and we've done such, we've made such great strides in helping to keep the community safe.

Alexis Tyson (02:39): Congratulations on that. And thank you for your efforts both in the community and the greater Baltimore area. It is more than appreciated, and we would just like to appreciate you guys for partnering with us, a part of the exhibition as well.

Lawrence Sanders (02:52): Thank you. we've enjoyed it. And thanks for making us a part of your exhibition.

The Peale in Baltimore regularly hosts community art exhibitions like the 2022 presentation of "A Feast in the Desert: Food Insecurity in Baltimore," curated by Alexis Tyson.

This show shares the artists' voices in appreciating the role food plays in strengthening our bonds and educating our community on food disparity in Baltimore.

Ramon Knight (00:00): My piece, which is a collection of receipts, it wasn't very hard to compile, I just kept the receipts.

(00:14): I like to show collections of things in a way that, I guess, I think, we don't normally see it. Because we might collect a lot of receipts, but never actually lay them flat and see how far they go. So that was the idea that went into it.

(00:36): I like to get stuff that we see all the time and I put them in a way that you don't normally see them to, I guess, encourage myself and whoever looks at it to think about it in a way that you probably wouldn't before.

(01:03): But yeah, I'm still collecting receipts. I'm trying to grow this, see how big it could get, and just to think, I'm just one person. How many receipts do you collect in a year's time?

(01:22): Yeah, that's my process. I don't really go out of my way to get the materials. I put them all together in three nights, not for long. It didn't take long. It's just my back get tired with the tape. But yeah, it wasn't difficult collecting and it wasn't difficult putting it together.

(01:45): I like that it is also very light so I can disassemble it and move it around very easily. Yeah, those are some of the ideas that go into it.

(01:57): I like working with paint as well. I work with watercolors.

(02:03): But more recently, my favorite thing is just stuff that I'd find, stuff that I don't necessarily have to go to seek out, really. That might be something I buy all the time, so I have a lot of lids of that same thing or just a large collection of the same thing, based on just doing the same thing, like the receipts. Or I was in Florida the other, and I just collected stuff. Every time I had takeout, I took the menu with me. I was on in this college town and I found this letter somebody wrote, because it was final year person writing into their roommate, I was just in the rain lost.

(03:04): So I like to find stuff and scan them or show them as is. Because I really liked painting, I was painting primarily but then I just kept going bigger with the canvases and then they got really cumbersome to carry around everywhere. So I really started liking really light stuff that could still get big, like folding paper or just sticking a whole bunch of stuff together.

(03:33): So I call that mixed media or also scanning. So I just get them digital and I just have a file. Yeah, mixed media, digital stuff I really like right now.

The Peale in Baltimore regularly hosts community art exhibitions like the 2022 presentation of "A Feast in the Desert: Food Insecurity in Baltimore," curated by Alexis Tyson.

This show shares the artists' voices in appreciating the role food plays in strengthening our bonds and educating our community on food disparity in Baltimore.

Alexis Tyson (00:01): My name is Alexis Tyson and I'm here with Chloe Griffin. I'm part of a "A Feast in the Desert" on display at The Peale currently. To begin with, Chloe, where are you from?

Chloe Griffin (00:13): I am from PG County, Maryland, more specifically like the Temple Hills area, closer to dc not really from Baltimore.

Alexis Tyson (00:23): What's your connection with food?

Chloe Griffin (00:26): My connection with food is hard to really pinpoint with one word, but I would say it definitely has developed since I was younger. I was a picky eater as a child, so that kind of influenced how I eat now. Because now I'm vegetarian and my family kind of grew up, eating just chicken and fish like meat wise and stuff like that. And you know, just as I grew up, just being more educated on food and, you know, just like the society we live in, I've become a lot more intentional with what I choose to put in my body. And I think through that, my relationship with food has definitely grown because I definitely used to eat a lot of fast food and feel, you know, bad because of it just physically mm-hmm. So, I feel like that tainted my relationship with it a bit, but now that I eat more healthy food or just, like more food that's just connected to nature and not just processed goods, you know what I mean? I feel like that definitely has influenced, my overall wellbeing, which like, makes me love food even more so. Mm-hmm.

Alexis Tyson (01:35): What messages would you like others to take from your art?

Chloe Griffin (01:39): A message. I'm not sure on a message per se. I would say like more so a feeling of just nostalgia and like relatability. I feel like all of my pieces focus on experiences. I think that everybody or most people have gr gone through or even that they just, the visuals remind them of different times in their life and different situations, especially with like their family or friends or even with themselves.

Alexis Tyson (02:11): What inspires your art?

Chloe Griffin (02:13): The community for sure. The black community definitely inspires my work. I feel like I just take those relatable experiences from that and turn them into pieces and, you know, make them a little personable.

Alexis Tyson (02:26): And finally, could you share a bit of the process that came for the piece, that you have in today's exhibition?

Chloe Griffin (02:32): Yes. So this piece was inspired by a photo I took of my mom while she was cooking. I just, like I said, made it more personal by changing her hair and what she was wearing her robe is inspired by a robe my grandmother used to wear. The lace is from a baby book my grandmother made from meat for me. And, there's other hints of symbolism that just represents my family, which is how I connect to it. And even other people through, you know, the pound cake and the seasonings and just the setup of the kitchen. Even I've heard people say it looks like their house. So things like that definitely make the peace.

Alexis Tyson (03:11): All righty. Thank you for talking with us today.

Chloe Griffin (03:12): Thank you for having me.