$15, a bag of clothes, and a fierce attitude. This is, according to a 1992 documentary by director Michael Kasino, what Marsha P. Johnson brought to New York, right after graduating high school and just before changing the course of history. Photo credit: USA/Netflix Johnson was born in August 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey under … Continue reading Marsha P. Johnson: The Power of a Queen – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
It is not possible within the confines of a blog post to list all the accomplishments of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Her career was the embodiment of the term intersectionality – decades before the term was coined. She had her hands in women's suffrage, prison reform, desegregation efforts, fighting corruption in local politics, education reform, breaking … Continue reading Ida B. Wells – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
When I started to research Mary Kate Hunter, or Kate Hunter as she was known, I found myself discounting her efforts a bit, as she was part of the “leisure class” of society, her father was an attorney and she belonged to patriotic societies such as Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Daughters of … Continue reading Mary Kate Hunter: Texas suffragette and community organizer
Sybil Medan Kathigasu neè Daly, a nurse and resistance fighter during the Second World War, is little known even within Malaysia, the country she helped during its occupation by Japanese forces. But in my opinion her contributions, and her bravery in the face of hardship, should not be taken lightly or be forgotten. So allow … Continue reading Sybil Kathigasu – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
While in London in January 2019 for my dead celebrity research trip, I was able to spend an afternoon in Canary Wharf to visit the Museum of London Docklands with my friend, Ziggy. As a big fan of the main Museum of London location, I was keen to visit their Docklands outpost - specifically to … Continue reading London, Sugar & Slavery at the Museum of London Docklands
This past spring semester, I took a course called Narratives of New York City at the Graduate Center, CUNY. One day we all walked a few blocks north to pay a visit to our neighbor, the New York Public Library. I adore the library. Always free to enter, with many hidden gems tucked away, and … Continue reading Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50 at New York Public Library
In December 2018, I visited the Museum of the City of New York with my public history classmates from the CUNY Graduate Center. We has spent the semester studying how to make effective exhibits and engage with the public. Our main focus was to see 'Rebel Women: Defying Victorianism' which was a great little exhibit. … Continue reading Rebel Women: Defying Victorianism at the Museum of the City of New York
History Is Important 