Women’s History Month
Vanderbilt celebrates Women’s History Month each March. Women’s History Month honors and celebrates the struggles and achievements of women of all nations and cultures.
Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” (From the Law Library of Congress’s guide to the legislative history of Women’s History Month.)
For more about the origins of Women’s History Month, visit womenshistorymonth.gov.
Questions? Please contact Brianna Nesbitt at brianna.nesbitt@vanderbilt.edu.
Women’s History Month 2021
Want a WHM Zoom background? Check them out here!
Visit linktr.ee/vuwomenscenter to RSVP for all events!
Monday, March 1
2:00 p.m.– 4:00 p.m. CT
Women’s History Month Kickoff
This grab-and-go event will feature several giveaways. It will take place behind the Women’s Center and will allow for social distancing.
Tuesday, March 2
7:00 p.m. CT
Making Meaningful Change Out of Mittens and Memes: A Fireside Chat with Jen Ellis
This conversation between Jen Ellis, the Vermont teacher who famously made mittens for Senator Bernie Sanders, and Assistant Provost for Experiential Learning Jill Stratton will explore how Ellis decided to use this moment in meme history for good.
Co-sponsored by Residential Colleges, Vandy Votes, and the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Wednesday, March 3
12:00 p.m. CT
Inclusive Book Group: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
At this meeting, we will discuss Maya Angelou’s classic memoir. The Inclusive Book Group is a collaboration between the Women’s Center and the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. All are welcome!
Email ACE@vanderbilt.edu to sign up for this event.
Thursday, March 4
5:30 p.m. CT
Joan Marie Johnson, “Race, Rights, and the Woman Suffrage Movement: The Stories of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, Irene Moorman, and Rose Schneiderman”
Joan Marie Johnson is the author of numerous books and articles on American’s women history, race, social reform, education, and philanthropy. Her book, Funding Feminism: Monied Women, Philanthropy, and the Women’s Movement, 1870-1967, shows how wealthy women wielded their money to help make change for women, including winning the right to vote, access to higher education, birth control, and better conditions for working women.
Friday, March 5
All Day
Freebie Friday: Paint by Numbers
Come pick up a paint-by-numbers kit any time throughout the day. You will need to sign up in advance as the number of kits is limited.
Monday, March 8
International Women’s Day
Check out Women’s Center’s social media (Instagram: @vuwomenscenter)
6:00 p.m. CT
19th Amendment concert (Blair) ***postponed***
Held on International Women’s Day, this concert of music by women composers honors the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote. (Tennessee was the state whose vote assured ratification.)
Tuesday, March 9
4:00 p.m. CT
Picture a Scientist Film Discussion
This panel discussion of the award-winning documentary about gender inequity in academic science will feature Janey Camp, Research Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Vicki Greene, Stevenson Professor of Physics; and Nicole Joseph, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Science Education. The panel will be moderated by Katherine Friedman, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Biological Sciences.
To watch the film before the discussion, log in to the Vanderbilt Library and access the film here.
Wednesday, March 10
HIV/AIDS Women and Girls Awareness Day
Check out Women’s Center’s social media (Instagram: @vuwomenscenter)
5:00 p.m. CT
Women in Engineering: VUSE Alumni Panel Discussion
Thursday, March 11
12:00 p.m. CT
Work–Life Workshop: Enneagram Workshop with Liz Perez
Join Liz Perez, LMFT for an overview of the Enneagram, the nine types, and how to find and use your number in work and in life.
Friday, March 12
All day
Freebie Friday: Movie Snacks
Come pick up movie snacks any time throughout the day! We encourage you to watch 9 to 5 over the weekend so that you can join us for a discussion with screenwriter, Patricia Resnick, on Monday. You will need to sign up in advance as quantities are limited.
Monday, March 15
5:15 p.m. CT
A Conversation with Patricia Resnick: Screenwriter, Nine to Five
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of Nine to Five, join the Belcourt Theatre and Vanderbilt University’s Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center for a virtual conversation about the legacy of Nine to Five with Patricia Resnick, who wrote the screenplay.
Tuesday, March 16
5:00 p.m. CT
She Persisted: The Past, Present, and Future of Women in Sports
This conversation, featuring Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs Candice Lee, Senior Associate Dean of Student Empowerment, Engagement, and Development Sharon Shields, and several members of Vanderbilt’s women’s athletic teams, will consider the progress women have made in sports since the advent of Title IX.
Wednesday, March 17
6:00 p.m. CT
Divine Feminine: Black Sexuality and Black Spirituality
This session by Whitney Bond will present a womanist understanding of sexual appropriateness and purity culture. Sponsored by the Office of the University Chaplain and Religious Life.
Thursday, March 18
12:00 p.m. CT
Parenting Group: Favorite Children’s Books
Emily Pendergrass, Associate Professor of the Practice of Literacy Education, will lead a discussion about ways to choose books for children, including books in honor of Women’s History Month.
Friday, March 19
3:00 p.m. CT
Freebie Friday: Cross-Stitching
Come pick up a cross-stitching kit any time throughout the week, and then join us for a virtual cross-stitching lesson Friday afternoon! You will need to sign up in advance as the number of kits is limited.
Join the virtual cross-stitching lesson here.
Monday, March 22
11:00 a.m. CT
InclusAbility: Gender and Disability
Please join the Office for Inclusive Excellence and Student Access as we continue the conversation around person-first and identity-first language featuring Aimi Hamaraie, Associate Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society, and Claire Barnett, Communication Coordinator, Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, as guest panelists.
Monday, March 22
5:00 p.m. CT
Kitchen Table Series: The Future of Feminism
Tuesday, March 23
1:00 p.m. CT
Unapologetically Taking Up Space in the Workplace: Being a Woman in the Workplace
Join the Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association’s Equity, Diversity, and Justice Committee to discuss the intersection of gender identity with professional identity. Take part in a meaningful discussion of what it means to be a female-identified professional.
Wednesday, March 24
12:00 p.m. CT
Women in the Academy: Women’s Leadership in the Academy
This panel discussion will feature Bonnie Dow, Dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Arts and Science; Katherine Friedman, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Biological Sciences; Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez, Association Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Education for Peabody College; and Padma Raghavan, Vice Provost for Research.
Wednesday, March 24
6:00 p.m. CT
#WTF: Intimate and Institutional Violence: What’s to Forgive & Who’s to Forgive?
Join Black Christian social ethicist Dr. Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jewish Studies and Midrash scholar Dr. W. David Nelson, and Executive Director of the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership Dr. Graham Reside for a monthly Wednesday night series of conversations about the role that forgiveness plays in the sociopolitical realms of religion and rhetoric through the sacred performance of race and responsibility.
For this series edition on institutional and intimate violence, we will discuss the ethics of forgiveness and redress in the context of intimate and institutional violence, focusing on what leaders need to know and do to address this prevalent but too often hidden form of abuse and violence. We are joined by special guest speakers child sexual abuse prevention advocate and Quaker minister Klarissa Oh and law professor Blanche Cook, J.D.
Thursday, March 25
5:30 p.m. CT
Cuninggim Lecture: Eloquent Rage: The Power of the Angry Black Woman
Presented by Brittney Cooper
Brittney Cooper is Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University. She is co-editor of The Crunk Feminist and the author of Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women and Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower.
Friday, March 26
All Day
Freebie Friday: Self-Care
Come pick up a self-care kit any time throughout the day. You will need to sign up in advance as the number of kits is limited.
Friday, March 26
12:00 p.m.
Moral Leadership, Gender, and Daring to Lead Workshop
Join the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership at Vanderbilt University for a conversation about moral leadership and gender through a discussion of Brene Brown’s book Dare to Lead.
Monday, March 29
12:00 p.m. CT
Elizabeth Gedmark, “Women in the Workforce and COVID-19: Where Do We Go from Here?”
COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on many previous inequities and barriers to women’s equality in the workplace, particularly for women of color with caregiving responsibilities. This conversation will explore both the problem and solutions to overcome setbacks to women’s workforce participation resulting from the pandemic.
Tuesday, March 30
12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. CT
Womxn Who Work: Professional Headshots
Sign up for a 15-minute time slot to come get a free headshot taken by a professional photographer. Copies of headshots will be sent to participants in the days following the event.
Tuesday, March 30
3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Womxn Who Work: Career Center Drop-in Discussion
Join us for a virtual Career Drop-in session to review resume materials or ask for interview tips!
Wednesday, March 31
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. CT
Rolled 4 Ever Ice Cream Food Truck
Enjoy some rolled ice cream to celebrate the close-out of Women’s History Month! The truck will be located at the Vandy Ride stop behind Sarratt Student Center. You must sign up for a 10-minute time slot to pick up your ice cream, and if you do not pick up your ice cream during your allotted time, you will forfeit your ice cream. Please email bailey.h.via@vanderbilt.edu with any questions.
Wednesday, March 31
6:15 p.m.
#WTF: What’s to Forgive? Who’s to Forgive? A Continued Conversation on Intimate an Institutional Violence
Wednesday, March 31
7:00 p.m.
Crawford Lecture: Amelia Nagoski and Emily Nagoski, “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle”