Looking Forward
We’re working on a series of programs related to the theme of Diversity and Inclusion. According to the national AAUW, “Diversity is critical to AAUW’s mission. Issues of equity — from fair pay to sexual assault to access to health care — affect all women, and women in marginalized groups often disproportionately experience the effects of these issues. To succeed in empowering women and girls, we must have diverse voices contributing different perspectives.”
Our branch plans to have a variety of programs on this theme, many that explore diversity and inclusion issues close to home. Some months, the selection for the Book Group will match the theme for the main program. Other than the January program, the events are not yet confirmed. Nonetheless, we wanted to share the possibilities with you:
January: “A Feminist Tour of Harlem” with Leigh Hallingby. January 23 at 1:30. Virtual Public Program. (Confirmed)
We will stop at the places where accomplished African American and Latinx women, some iconic and some less familiar, are honored. Stops include historic buildings, murals and mosaics, plaques on the sidewalk, and commemorative street corners celebrating great women. And the women range from A’Lelia Walker to Nicholasa Mohr to Zora Neale Hurston.
February: A speaker from the Vermont Center for Independent Living. Private Program.
March: Mia Schultz, chairwoman of the Bennington Town Democratic Party. Public Program.
April: Possible collaboration with the Bennington Bookshop on a program related to our theme of diversity and inclusion. Public Program.
May: Screening of a video about an actor who overcomes his disability–spasmodic dysphonia (a disorder in which the muscles that generate a person’s voice go into periods of spasm). The program will include a discussion with the director. Public Program.
June: Speaker from Rights and Democracy of Bennington (RAD)
Looking Back
We’ve had a superb year with tremendous support from the local community and excellent publicity in the Banner. We had record audiences for our suffrage events at the Bennington Performing Arts Center theater–about 70 attendees at each event. In August, at our penultimate suffrage event, “From Corsets to Combinations,” held at Park McCullough House, had a similar size crowd, with social distancing and masks required.
Our culminating event–“A Woman, Ain’t I?” was held on Zoom. We were thrilled to have an audience almost as large as those our face-to-face events garnered–more than 60 people.
If you weren’t able to attend the Zoom event, you can watch it here:
YouTube video of “A Woman, Ain’t I?”
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