Students and faculty set the stage for a month-long celebration:
LAUREN JOHNS ART & LIFE EDITOR
Women’s Club set the stage for the month by working with their advisor, Amanda White, to organize various events all centered around honoring women. “We had an open table discussion with her and other members,” Said Kyra Pearson, club president. “Our first idea was to have a feminist cafe every Wednesday of each month and put this year’s theme into consideration, which is non-violence.” More than one in three women are victims of domestic violence at some point in there lives. “We discuss topics that are meaningful to us and welcome anyone. During our last cafe, we are going to write letters to our legislature as a form of peaceful protesting. We are having a panel about anti-violence as well,” Said Pearson In addition to the cafe events, Women’s Club is also hosting a film series that focuses on past conflict that is still prevalent today, as well as teaming up with the Diversity Committee for their Clothesline project that occurs yearly. “Women’s history is important just like any other history,” said Pearson. “We need to know our roots to know how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go. Certain issues aren’t tackled enough in common media or news outlets, so it’s nice to have this club to shine a spotlight on it all.” According to Maxine Beach, English Professor, women’s history would become obsolete without a month devoted to it, but at the same time, a month tends to be lackluster. “I do have a problem with this: while I think we need months like these, it’s only a month. It’s hard to keep the conversation going year round.” As a means of solving this lack of consistency, Pearson believes people need to be more open-minded to keep a good dialogue going. Ignorance is due to a lack of insight on all sides of the story says Pearson. “We need to stray away from the belief that feminist movements are too extreme,” said Pearson. “It’s meant to celebrate women, but that never excludes men. We don’t need to change your mind but we do want to help you appreciate it more.” In relation, Beach considers herself to be a feminist, despite all the inflammation of the media and various prejudices she says. “My sister says she doesn’t like feminists and yet her daughter is one, I’m one,” said Beach. “She’s been a working professional her entire life, she just has the wrong idea about what feminism is.” Said Beach “Feminists believe in women working, their equal pay and access to birth control, among other things. You can’t support these things and then claim to be anti-feminist.” According to Beach, feminism is not an Amazonian takeover of men. Feminism is the betterment of women’s lives and giving women options. “It’s all about equal access,” said Beach. “Recently, the court passed a law allowing for women to fight in combat. The true equality comes from us being required to sign up for the draft, same as men, no special circumstances. Soon enough, we’ll gain more power in the courts and men will except it, even embrace it.” Pertaining to the movement, Beach recounts various activists who have inspired her the most. It’s important for women to have female role models. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Courts, got there by being brilliant,” said Beach. “She didn’t fight because she was a women, she fought because it’s what she wanted to do. The artist Frida Kahlo was a real gender bender. She did her own thing regardless of the men against her, making a name for herself on her own terms.” According to Pearson, it’s important for young women to have someone of color to look up to, especially those representing big jobs in government. Pearson idolizes activists like Malala Yousafzai and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. “Malala’s story is one of the documentaries in the film series,” said Pearson. “She fought for women in Pakistan and their rights to equal education. The fact that she was only a teen at the time, proves you are never too young to make a difference. Alexandria is a hispanic congresswoman for Bronx and Queens. She fought hard on the Cavanaugh case and alongside the MeToo movement.” Both Pearson and Beach recognize that women’s rights has a long way to go, however remain hopeful for the future of women. “Maybe one day we won’t need a specific month to celebrate women,” said Beach.
