Lessons in Herstory by Goodby Silverstein & Partners

In classrooms across the country, students are opening their US history textbooks to see pages of role models and important historical figures, but there are many figures that have been overlooked for years: women. According to research, 89% of textbook references aredevoted to men.

This March, in celebration of Women’s History Month, Daughters of the Evolution collaborated with San Francisco advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) to address this issue head on, bringing recognition to the untold stories of women in history. Co-founded by GS&P partner and chief creative officer Margaret Johnson, Daughters of the Evolution is a new organization dedicated to helping young women create the world they want to live in.

Today, Daughters of the Evolution launches Lessons in Herstory, an app that uses augmented reality to celebrate stories of women typically omitted from history textbooks. When users open the app and scan an image of a male historical figure in A History of US, Book 5: Liberty for All? 1820­–1860, the app unlocks a story of an important female historical figure from that same period. For example, when a user scans President Zachary Taylor, they will see an illustration and story of Cathay Williams, the first African American woman to enlist in the army (using a disguise and a pseudonym) during the Civil War, when women were prohibited from entering the military. The app currently features stories of 75 women from the 19th century.

GS&P enlisted the help of the New York Times best-selling author and feminist historian Kate Schatz to identify a diverse selection of women and ensure the accuracy of the stories represented.

Lessons in Herstory is available on the App Store. Also find information at www.lessonsinherstory.com.