EMU Today

YPSILANTI – In honor of Women’s History Month, Eastern Michigan University is offering a number of virtual open-to-the-public events that will help to celebrate and reflect upon women’s history.

A roundup of the March Women’s History Month events and how to attend them virtually is below:

Sunday, March 7:

●      3 p.m. “Mira Awad: A Concert/Conversation”: The EMU Center for Jewish Studies will host Israeli/Palestinian singer songwriter, actress, artist and content creator Mira Awad, who will perform and speak to attendees.

Awad has been a forceful activist for women’s rights, equal citizenship for Palestinians living in Israel, a two-state solution, and environmental awareness. Her powerful advocacy for dialogue and co-existence, and for peace and solidarity, has brought her considerable praise along with some criticism across the political spectrum.

She competed in the 2009 Eurovision song contest alongside Israeli singer, Noa (Achinoam Nini). The duo won the NIF Human Rights for Arts and Culture award in 2010. Awad continues to work in collaboration with a multitude of artists, including guitarist Shay Alon, with whom she will perform this concert.

The free event will stream on EMU’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

The event is being co-sponsored by Hillel at EMU, EMU Campus Life, the Academic Engagement Network, The Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Michigan, the Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judiac Studies at the University of Michigan, and the Gayle & Larry Weiseneck Symposium Fund.

Monday, March 8

●      5:30-7 p.m. The Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women: Intersections of Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Work and Immigration: The EMU Women's and Gender Studies will host The Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women: Intersections of Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Work and Immigration featuring the following speakers:

o   Caring Work During the COVID19 Pandemic: Immigrant Women Workers in Canada: Naomi Lightman, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Calgary, will discuss how women have been “frontlined and sidelined” by the pandemic, with a particular focus on the “dirty”, difficult, and increasingly dangerous work being done by immigrant women working as personal support workers in Canada’s long-term care institutions.

o  The COVID pandemic, gender and race in Brazil: The international research project Gender & Covid-19: Nacif Pimenta, anthropologist and researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz)/Brazilian Ministry of Health, will provide a critical overview of the COVID pandemic in Brazil, with a focus on the intersections of gender and race. The presentation will also discuss the results and experiences of the activities related to the international research project Gender & Covid-19The project brings together academics from around the world and conducts real time gender analysis to identify and document the gendered dynamics of COVID-19 and gaps in preparedness and response.

o   The impact of COVID-19 on women in the US: Bandana Purkayastha, professor of Sociology and Asian & Asian American Studies at the University of Connecticut, will feature the shifts and changes in the US and the impact on women. She will touch on the negative effects on the poor, elderly, and racial minorities but the talk will focus on women with jobs, with a special focus on immigrant women, who are additionally marginalized because of political decisions about crossing international boundaries.  The talk will highlight how ongoing violence and precarity continue to shape women's lives in the US.

Attend the event via the ZOOM event page. Use the Meeting ID and passcode below:

Meeting ID: 869 9618 6116

Passcode 192537

Thursday, March 11:

●      5-6:30 p.m. Women’s Leadership Panel: The Black Honors Student Organization will celebrate Women’s History Month with a Women’s Leadership Panel that will bring together six inspiring women of color to share their experiences and journeys to leadership positions. They will discuss several topics, ranging from diversity, equity, & inclusion, resilience, newly entering the workforce, strengths & failures, inspirations, and more. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions, and win a prize.

Panelists include:

o   Dr. Doris J. Fields, PhD: EMU director of undergraduate studies for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs and professor of communications

o   Dr. Betty Brown-Chappell, PhD, MSW: EMU professor emerita in the School of Social Work

o   Rhonda E. Fowler: University Librarian at EMU

o   Dr. Heather Neff, PhD: director of the McNair Scholars Program and distinguished professor of English at EMU

o   Temii Tellis, MSHROD: senior corporate relations manager at EMU

o   Stephanie Hawkes, Ed. D: assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement at Wayne State University

The panel will be hosted via ZOOM. Use the following credentials to watch:

o   Meeting ID: 829 6452 6859

o   Passcode: 859865

Tuesday, March 16:

●      1-5 p.m. The 4th Annual Women of Color Feminisms & Leadership Symposium, Day 1, “Reimagining, Rebuilding & Recreating Ourselves as Women of Color”: The EMU Center of Race & Ethnicity, Women’s and Gender Studies and the Women’s Resource Center will host its Fourth Annual Women of Color Feminisms & Leadership Symposium, entitled “Reimagining, Rebuilding & Recreating Ourselves as Women of Color.”

The two-day event, continuing on Wednesday, March 17, will provide a breathable space for Women of Color to envision a world without limitations, unlearn false narratives of who THEY told us we should be and, prioritize healing so that we can create new versions of ourselves without fear.

Tarana Burke, founder of the “me too.” Movement, will serve as the event’s keynote speaker.

Registration for the event is required, and can be completed through the event’s registration page.

●      6:30-8 p.m. “Star Lecture 3: Making her Mark”: Join the EMU Honors College for the final Star Lecture of the semester, "Making Her Mark: Marian Butler and Black Women’s Efforts to Secure Racial Justice," presented by Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Murphy.

The lecture will be hosted via ZOOM.

For more information on the event, visit the Honors College Event Calendar, or contact Jieron Robinson at 734.487.0341 or emuhonors@emich.edu.

Wednesday, March 17:

●      1-5 p.m. The 4th Annual Women of Color Feminisms & Leadership Symposium, “Reimagining, Rebuilding & Recreating Ourselves as Women of Color”: The EMU Center of Race & Ethnicity, Women’s and Gender Studies and the Women’s Resource Center will host the second and final day of its Fourth Annual Women of Color Feminisms & Leadership Symposium, titled “Reimagining, Rebuilding & Recreating Ourselves as Women of Color.”

(See above for details).

Thursday, March 25:

●      4-5:30 p.m. "Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All": The EMU History Section will host "Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All,” featuring speaker Martha Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University.

The event will be hosted via ZOOM.

For more information on EMU events, visit the event website. 

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 16,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.