James Madison has been honoring the celebratory month with a series of virtual events throughout March.
The first event on March 2nd, titled “Latina Leadership Experience” consisted of a women’s panel conversing on silencing gender, age, ethnicity, and cultural biases in leadership positions.
“D.E.E.P. Dialogue: Human Trafficking” followed the next day, where Impact Diversity Educators presented the effects of human trafficking for both the state of Virginia and the United States.
Third, and perhaps most notable, the infamous Keke Palmer joined James Madison as the Women’s History Month Speaker on Wednesday evening. The singer, actress, television host, and author discussed growing up outside of Chicago and following her dreams of being an actress and singer to California. Palmer quoted “[My parents] made sure I knew what I was doing and the opportunity I had as a young woman using her talents on a big platform. The stories and narratives I could shift or encourage within the Black community, or the impoverished in general. That’s where I came from and I have no shame in that.” She explained her mindset and goals as a role model and leaving a positive impact. She also talked about when it came to working on her career, she strove to project her ideals into her craft,
“I do have in the back of my mind, how is it going to affect my generation? What am I offering truly? What is my art really saying?”
-Keke Palmer
If you’re experiencing FOMO from the events listed above, you can still tune into March 23rd’s “Cultural Series Speaker: Isra Chaker” via zoom at 7:00 P.M. Chaker is a civil rights activist, campaigns and advocacy expert, and public speaker. She opposes discriminatory policies such as the Muslim Bans.
Find celebration throughout the remainder of not just March, but also seek to empower and spark the feminist movement throughout all of 2021 in your local community and beyond. Roll Dukes!
References:
https://www.jmu.edu/multicultural/womens-history-month.shtml
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