In a cozy room on the second floor of 17 Madison St., Allison Hinman is surrounded by black and white photos of Susan B. Anthony and her fellow suffragists.
This was Anthony's study where her prolific writing took place. The letters she penned here to fellow reformers and politicians — some 100 a week — continue to provide insight into the suffragist movement more than a century later.
It's one of Hinman's favorite rooms in the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House.
Her interest in museums began when she was a history major in college. She credits her mother for encouraging her to think beyond the roles of docent or curator.
"I had no idea the world that museums would open up for me, and I felt pretty privileged," she said in between tours by local school children on a Thursday morning.
Before she was appointed president and CEO in January, Hinman was the Anthony Museum's deputy director then chief operating officer. But she began here as an intern in 2014 and says her understanding of Susan B. Anthony and the suffrage movement continues to evolve.
One example of her growing knowledge came from a visiting speaker at the museum
"I had no idea that Black men could vote in New York state until 1821. Learning a little bit about state history and how we talk about voter suppression and voting rights in this country shifted my whole perspective," she said.
The Susan B. Anthony House was a designated Monroe County polling site in the 2024 presidential election, and it will serve as a polling location again this year for the June primaries and the general election in the fall.
In today's partisan political climate, conversations around voting rights and other issues can be intense. But Hinman sees the museum as a space where civic engagement and education have room to breathe, and visitors are presented with information that may challenge their views and perceptions.
"We have visitors on both sides of the aisle. We have independents that come and visit, and it's a great place for discussion," Hinman said. "Susan B. Anthony herself didn't really believe in aligning yourself with the political party, but to vote with your conscience and with your own values."
One of Hinman's key priorities is raising another $6 million to $7 million toward the $25 million needed to begin construction on a new interpretive center that will be located at Brown Street and Jefferson Avenue, about 900 feet from the current museum campus.
The expansion, Hinman said, will provide much needed space to tell the suffragist story more fully.
"I think the discussions that we're having as a nation are part of the reason why this interpretive center is so critical to the work that we do," she added. "We are an organization that talks about democracy, and some of the promises of democracy have yet to be fulfilled."
She believes people continue to take inspiration from how the suffragists of the 19th and early 20th centuries overcame social, cultural, and legal barriers — and sometimes violence — in their quest to secure voting rights for women. And she thinks Susan B. Anthony's legacy is a source of encouragement and hope for modern day citizens who are experiencing similar struggles.
"I think it's something that helps connect people to each other," said Hinman, "and I think that we need connection now more than ever."
