The Student Senate has invited the student body to attend a field trip to the Project XV Museum on Nov. 15, 2024 in El Paso, Ill.
Registered students will participate in a guided tour of the museum, which is named after the fifteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The fifteenth amendment allowed for the right of citizens to vote regardless of race or socioeconomic status.
Junior Maya McGrew, Civic Engagement Commissioner for the Student Senate, said it’s important for students to gain empathy about the struggles of marginalized people to gain the right to vote.
“Learning this history empowers students to be advocates for inclusive policies and helps us appreciate the full value of civic participation,” McGrew said.
The Project XV Museum is located at David A. Strother’s barbershop in El Paso, the first African American man to vote in Ill. It offers interactive elements of the history of voting rights and addresses the modern day inequalities.
“This engagement connects us more deeply to the community,” McGrew said. “It reinforces our shared responsibility to protect and advance these hard-won rights.”
Student Senate organized the field trip to encourage students to engage with their role in fostering community, inclusivity and equity on campus. McGrew said that it is essential to be aware of the history of voting rights for people of color, and it is important for students to participate in a culture of empathy and informed cultural engagement.
“By reflecting on these themes, we hope students feel motivated to seek out ways to stay engaged and make an impact long after the trip,” McGrew said.
Students interested in participating in the Project XV Museum Field Trip can register using the link posted in the my.iwu.edu announcements.