Oct. 19, 2022- No birth control, Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies or childcare center; on Feb. 4, 1972, a group of 35 women known as the February Sisters occupied the University of Kansas East Asian Studies building to advocate for equal rights on campus.

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Fifty years later, February Sister Christine Smith revisited that night at the Watkins Museum of History and discussed gender equality in today’s world.

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Watkins Museum hosted “The February Sisters: Remembering & Moving Forward,” Sep. 23 and featured a presentation by Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle, KU’s associate vice provost and a reading by February Sister Christine Smith.

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“It happened because we needed it,” Smith said, referring to the protest.

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She gave a detailed account of the night of Feb. 4, from being whisked off to a secret destination to negotiation meetings with the university’s chancellor.

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“I was probably one of those people who thought I was going to face the enemy, but I was aware that this was not the stance of the sisters,” Smith said. “Sitting through the session was a defining moment in my life.”

Their efforts led to establishing a childcare center on campus, a women’s studies program and major, and the provision of birth control by Student Health Services.

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The February Sisters demonstration marked one of many civil rights movements in Lawrence during the late 20th century. Watkins Museum is working to honor these protests of the past. 

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“Mothers of Invention” is a current exhibit at Watkins that covers the history of female business owners in Lawrence. Alongside it is the 1970s Project, a collaborative effort between Watkins and Lawrence to commemorate the 50th anniversary of pivotal moments of local social change.

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The February Sisters event was associated with both the “Mothers of Invention” exhibit and the Lawrence 1970s Project, said Will Haynes, director of Engagement and Learning at Watkins.

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“While the February Sisters were not businesswomen per se, they are innovators in their own right and having the exhibit open during the 50th anniversary year of the Sisters’ action provided a great chance to have a public event about them,” Haynes said.

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And the sisters’ innovation proved to be the overall theme of the evening.

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At the end of the night, Tuttle and Smith led the audience in a discussion about gender equity and activism today. 

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“These women saw things that needed to change and paved the way for greater opportunities,” Tuttle said.

For KU freshman Taylor Doyle, the event was both moving and disheartening.

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“It’s disappointing to me that we are still fighting for the same things, but I appreciate generations of fighting,” Doyle said.

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Another freshman, Ellen Miller, said that Smith’s story was her biggest takeaway.

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“It was just so quick, and they were at the meeting two nights before they did it and they were like, OK, we’re doing this,” Miller said. “And then they got it done.”

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They did get it done. At the end of her speech, Smith described the moments following the meeting with the KU administration.

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“We had no idea anyone would remember us even a year or two down the line, but for that moment, we were power personified,” Smith said. “We were the February Sisters, and we prevailed.”