Multiple events planned throughout March
“We
are very excited to be able to offer a screening of ‘The Woman King’ to the
University community during Women’s History Month,” said Abigail Borchert, an
advisor with the Office of International Students and Scholars. “We’re hoping
this event will be both informative and fun.”
Sponsored
by Borchert’s office and the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, the
College of Arts and Sciences, and the Women’s Center, the screening will take
place on International Women’s Day, March 8, in Edwards Hall, 64 Upper College
Road, Kingston Campus, at 7 p.m. with a reception beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Professor Catherine John-Camara, chair of the Department of Africana Studies
will introduce the film, with a discussion to follow for those who are
interested.
“The Woman King,” a feature film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and starring Rhode Island’s own Viola Davis, tells the story of the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors who protected the Kingdom of Dahomey which flourished as one of Africa’s most powerful states in the late eighteenth century. Inspired by true events, the film follows General Nanisca, played by Davis, as she trains the next generation of warriors and readies them for battle to defend their way of life. The film was initially conceived by actress and writer Maria Bello who went on to write the story with producer and screenwriter Dana Stevens.
“I
think this is a wonderful opportunity to take time out right before spring
break, to enjoy and appreciate this piece of film, while also learning about
the events that inspired it,” said Borchert. “It is so remarkable to have
a motion picture almost entirely conceived, written, directed, produced by and
starring women. It is the perfect film to help bring together like-minded
people to celebrate International Women’s Day and to raise awareness of the day
and the struggle for gender equity around the world.”
Numerous
University departments and groups are planning events and contributing to the
2023 URI celebration of Women’s History Month. Check the University Events Calendar for
new events and speakers. Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open
to the public. They include:
Thursday,
March 2
4-5:15
p.m. – Contesting the Rules of Journalism: Paradoxes of the Women’s Press in
Mid-Twentieth Century Columbia. Presented by the Departments of History and Gender
and Women’s Studies,scholar and media analyst, Sandra Sánchez-López will
illustrate how women journalists challenged traditional norms by mocking
mainstream political narratives in 1940s Colombia, waved the flag of
civic-minded journalism in the 1950s, and experimented with rare genres in the
national press to destabilize the dominant printing culture in the 1960s.
Sánchez is an associate professor of journalism at the Universidad de los Andes
in Bogotá and author of the upcoming “Battles for Belonging: Women Journalists,
Political Culture, and the Paradoxes of Inclusion in Colombia, 1943–1968,” from
Rowman & Littlefield. While these journalists were committed to shaping
justice and opportunity for women in society and their strategies proved to be
successful, Sánchez contends they also came at a cost.
Higgins
Welcome Center, Hope Room
45 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus
6-9
p.m. – HXRstory Poetry Jam. Presented by the Multicultural Student Services
Center in collaboration with Outspoken PVD and P.I.N.K. Women, this open mic
poetry event will be centered around honoring, celebrating and empowering
womxn. Those who wish to perform are encouraged to have poetry prepared that is
in line with this theme. Light refreshments will be served.
Multicultural
Student Services Center, Hardge Forum
74 Lower College Road, Kingston Campus
Tuesday,
March 7
5:30-7
p.m. – Women in Ocean Science. Presented by the Graduate School of Oceanography
as part of its Public Lecture Series, this panel will be moderated by GSO Dean
Paula Bontempi and will explore the diverse experiences of women in ocean
science. While gender diversity in oceanography has been improving in recent
decades, women and those who identify as non-binary – particularly those who
belong to marginalized groups – remain underrepresented. GSO professors
Katherine Kelley and Fenix Garcia Tigeros, along with the founder and president
of Ocean Discovery League Katy Croff Bell, Ph.D. ’11., will discuss their
research, and their perspectives on how the “leaky pipeline” of gender
disparity in marine science can be fixed.
Coastal
Institute Auditorium, Narragansett Bay Campus
218 South Ferry Road, Narragansett
This event will also be livestreamed. Register for a link.
Wednesday,
March 8
10
a.m.-noon – The Impact of Women Scholars on the Entrepreneurial
Landscape. Presented
by the International Council for Small Business in coordination with Seton Hall
University, this moderated discussion will showcase URI Professor Nancy
Forster-Holt, along with women scholars from Seton Hall, Texas Tech University,
Iowa State University and the University of Delaware.
This
event is virtual, registration is required.
4-5
p.m. – International Women’s Day: Celebrating and Connecting Women Graduate
Students. Sponsored
by the Graduate School and the Office of International Students and Scholars,
this event is intended to help bring together graduate students from across all
disciplines to celebrate International Women’s Day, share stories, build
community and support one another. Light refreshments and desserts will be
served.
Multicultural
Student Services Center, Hardge Forum
74 Lower College Road, Kingston Campus
6:30-9:30
p.m. – International Women’s Day Film Event: The Woman King. Sponsored by the
Department Gender and Women’s Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, the
Office of International Students and Scholars, and the Women’s Center. A
pre-screening reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. screening
of “The Woman King.”
Edwards
Hall Auditorium
64 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus