Persistence and Resistance: A Conversation Series about Women's POWER
September 25, 2025 - March 14, 2026
"Persistence and Resistance: A Conversation Series about Women's POWER" is an opportunity to engage in conversion regarding society's perception of women throughout history, the challenges they have faced, and the valuable lessons we can draw from that legacy.
The four part series, created by Anoka County Historical Society (ACHS) and co-sponsored by LWV ABC, will encourage safe conversations, the sharing of experiences, and foster a better understanding of the history that surrounds us every day.
The conversations are not a book discussion but each session will be grounded by books, and other published material, to establish a solid foundation for the topic and discussion.
We hope that participants will leave with action steps for their future and a deeper understanding of women’s power then and now – whether quietly persisting or loudly resisting.
Tickets are $8.00 and reservations are required.
Download a List of Recommended Books
Reproductive Rights
Thursday, September 25, 2025
6 p.m.- 8 p.m
Location: Andover Community Center - Knight Community Room
Have you read The Evidence of V or Booth Girls? How do these books connect with your personal experiences of pregnancy, abortion, or birth control? Join us in a conversation to foster a better understanding of the history that surrounds us every day.
Recommended reading:
- Booth Girls: Pregnancy, Adoption, and the Secrets We Kept (2021) by Kim Heikkila
- Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions (2019) by Sheila O'Connor
Women in Politics
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
6 p.m.- 8 p.m
Location: TBD
Pick up a copy of Until There is Justice or Her Honor: Rosalie Wahl and the Minnesota Women’s Movement and learn more about the essence of systemic change. How have women impacted our government? What challenges lay ahead?
Recommended reading:
- Until There Is Justice: The Life of Anna Arnold Hedgeman (2016) by Jennifer Scanlon
- Her Honor: Rosalie Wahl and the Minnesota Women's Movement (2014) by Lori Sturdevant
The Nurses of Vietnam
Saturday, January 24, 2026
2 p.m.- 4 p.m.
Location: TBD
Whether you're a fan or not, The Women has captured the public's attention. Pair this fictional work with Sisterhood of War, a discussion with author Kim Heikkila, and commentary from the Vietnam nurses themselves, and we will have an exceptional event prepared to address your questions.
Recommended reading:
- Sisterhood of War: Minnesota Women in Vietnam (2011) by Kim Heikkila
- The Women: A Novel (2024) by Kristin Hannah
Women's Mental Health
Satruday, March 14, 2026
2 p.m.- 4 p.m.
Location: TBD
Explore The Woman They Could Not Silence and The Crusade for Forgotten Souls to gain insight into life within state asylums. For extra credit, check out the oral history collection at ACHS! What occurs when society seeks to silence women?
Recommended reading:
- The Woman They Could Not Silence: The Shocking Story of a Woman Who Dared to Fight Back (2021) by Kate Moore
- The Crusade for Forgotten Souls: Reforming Minnesota's Mental Institutions, 1946–1954 (2018) by Susan Bartlett Foote
