Queens College is marking Women’s History Month in March with two free virtual panel discussions: “Women, Advocacy, and Activism in a Global Pandemic,” and “Transforming Feminism: Building a More Inclusive Movement.”
Queens College President Frank Wu said he is “delighted and deeply proud” that the college is offering a wide-ranging perspective on women’s societal contributions and continuing struggles in celebration of Women’s History Month.
“From the role women have played in supporting vulnerable populations during a global pandemic to the work that still needs to be done to ensure inclusivity in the fight for equality, we are offering both our students and the worldwide community an opportunity to to learn and become involved in these endeavors,” Wu said.
The Palmer Women’s History Month symposium, “Women, Advocacy, and Activism in a Global Pandemic,” will be held on Monday, March 15, at 12:30 p.m. There will be a panel discussion on women’s labor, work activism and advocacy, the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s labor, child care and education, global advocacy for immigrant communities, women and children, responses to increases in global domestic violence, and organizations devoted to intervention and care.
Two Queens College graduates are among the four speakers to participate in the panel discussion. Alumna’s Indrani Goradia, founder of Indrani’s Light Foundation, and Hetal Janai, founder of Support, Prepare, Empower, Aspiring, Kids (SPEAK), will join Jenny Brown, a teacher/activist of National Women’s Liberation, and Diana Moreno, director of Worker Rights Program and New Immigrant Community Empowerment. The panelists will be available for a live chat with pre-registered participants.
The event is being presented by the Queens College Women and Gender Studies (WGS) Program, which is proud to offer the annual Virginia Frese Palmer Symposium, said Dr. JV Fuqua, program director of WGS.
“The Queens College motto is ‘We Learn so that We May Serve.’ It is in this spirit that this year’s Women’s History Month Celebration honors four women who have advocated and organized for the human rights of immigrants, women, children, and some of the most vulnerable individuals,” Fuqua said. “Please join us for this inspirational event in these difficult, pandemic times.”
The Palmer Women’s History Month symposium focuses on current events as they relate to women and gender. It was made possible by the generous support of late Queens College alumna Virginia Frese Palmer from the class of 1942. The symposium highlights the role of service and community engagement, particularly as it affects women, children, and other vulnerable individuals and communities. Accomplished women alumni who are devoted to community organizing and service are frequent symposium panelists in the spirit of Palmer’s commitment to commemorate Women’s History Month at her alma mater.
“The TRANSforming Feminism: Building a More Inclusive Movement” panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, March 24, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. The event is made possible through the generous support of LaGuardia Community College and the New York City Council through the offices of Council member Daniel Dromm and Speaker Corey Johnson.
The co-sponsors of the event are the Queens College Office of Student Development and Leadership, the Queens College Women and Gender Studies (WGS) Program, the City University of New York Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives, and the Queens College Gender, Love, and Sexuality Alliance (GLASA).
Fuqua will moderate the panel discussion with guests including Red Washburn, director of the Women and Gender Studies Department, Kingsborough Community College; trans activist Tracee McDaniel, the first transgender person to be appointed to the Atlanta Citizen Review Board; trans feminist author Julia Serrano; and Marisa Iovino and Abigail Thomas, Queens College and New York City College of Technology students, respectively.
The event will be recorded and preserved as part of the City University of New York LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. Students and the public are encouraged to register for the event by March 23.
