My First Job, And Kansas City's 'Suffrajitsu' Senior Wins National History Prize

By Steve Kraske

Published July 19, 2017 at 3:07 PM CDT

Erin Lowe played suffragette jiu-jitsu instructor Edith Garrud in her gold medal-winning National History Day performance. "To actually become the character is amazing," she says. "Experiencing history in this sort of way is different from anything else."

Whether you spent hours in the summer sun at a lifeguard post or delivered hot, greasy pizzas across town, it's hard to forget your very first job. Today, callers and KCUR staffers share their memories and the lasting impacts of that first job or paycheck. Then, we meet the Kansas City high schooler whose year-long research project into the "suffrajitsu" movement earned her top marks at the National History Day competition.

Erin Lowe will perform 'Suffrajitsu: the Women Who Fought Back' at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 20. Visit TrumanLibraryInstitute.org for more information.

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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