WINTER 2020 by Rana Abdelhamid ’15
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and WomenSafe at Stonecutter Spirits. The book looks at romance as both an economic as well as a highly gendered and raced ideology and it makes a terrible wedding gift. In November, Karin also hosted the very successful Gender Justice Institute with the leadership team of Malikah, headed WINTER 2020 by Rana Abdelhamid ’15. Twenty junior organizers from Middlebury and beyond came together for an intense four-day workshop LETTER FROM of organizing, self-healing, and self-defense. THE DIRECTOR Karin also helped organize the Sister-to-Sister Summit, which drew more than 30 middle school girls from Addison County. write this note just as we slide into In the next few months, GSFS will be busy 2020, a year in which feminism may running a Winter Term workshop for faculty very well decide the future. Here in the I on feminist theory, seeing the play Jane US, an election looms and around the world produced (with Carly Thomsen’s class), and the rise of highly misogynist and xenophobic running a feminist translation competition political movements—in Russia, Hungary, for our students where we encourage them to Poland, Brazil, the Philippines, and the U.S.— think about how to apply the ideas they learn is truly startling. Meanwhile, the most recent in the classroom to the world they live in. world Climate Summit in Madrid, despite the On April 24th we will host our annual leadership of amazing young people like Greta Gensler Family Symposium on Gender in Thunberg, did not end with enough concrete a Global Context. This year’s theme is, of action and so the sea waters will continue to course, “Feminist World Making (at the End rise. of the World).” This conference will bring Faced with what can feel like the end of together activists, academics, and artists to the world, feminist academics and activists help us think through what kind of feminist continue to do the work that needs to be work is being done and what kind of feminist done. That’s what we’ve been doing here in work needs to be done. the Program in Gender, Sexuality & Feminist We hope the optimism and feminist Studies. In October, Professor Carly Thomsen survival skills of the conference will carry debuted her new documentary, In Plain us over into the Fall of 2020, when much Sight, and got everyone thinking about queer about the future of the country and the world lives in rural spaces and what ideologies try will be decided. We are already planning (in to frame such lives as unimaginable. We conjunction with the Office of the President) have a wonderful new colleague, Professor a major event about the election in October of Hemangini Gupta. As you’ll read in this 2020 with African American Studies scholar newsletter, Professor Gupta’s work helps Carol Anderson, who will speak about her us think about the global economy with the book One Person, No Vote and what lessons tools of feminist theory. Her new courses on we can learn for the upcoming elections. “Ladies at Work” and “Gender, Technology We hope you will join us for some of our and the Future” are a huge addition to the upcoming events, take a class, join a book feminist studies curriculum we offer here at group, or come listen to a talk. Middlebury. Finally, I gave a presentation on my most recent book Love Inc., Dating Laurie Essig Apps, the Big White Wedding, and Chasing Director of the Program in Gender, the Happily Neverafter for a fundraiser for Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Northern New England Planned Parenthood THE 2020 SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL 2020 marks the centennial of the passing of the 19th Amendment to the American constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Between 1848 and 1920, many women across the United States left their homes determined to gain the right to vote in all elections: municipal, state, and federal. This journey was long, 72 years, and convoluted; it included protests, arrests, imprisonment, injury, and heroic personal sacrifice. Like many social movements it was complex, impeded by racism and division, and resulted in a hard won, but incomplete victory. Above: Middle school students making buttons of famous suffragists. Decades would pass before many others—including been devoting attention to place in front of the statehouse people of color, those with this anniversary by hosting in Montpelier on August 22, disabilities, or those with presentations and collaborating 2020. The day will highlight modest incomes—would gain with different departments at the women in Vermont who the franchise. Even now, a Middlebury and in Vermont. were involved in the movement multitude of barriers blocks On September 13, Chellis as well as women whose access to the ballot box in many House hosted organizers of the efforts had a national impact. states. The 19th Amendment Vermont Suffrage Centennial The celebration will include was a landmark victory in a Alliance to discuss their a parade, performances, and journey that continues to this work with members of the speakers who will also push day. Middlebury community during attendants to think critically Throughout this school a lunchtime talk. The Alliance about where feminist activism year, the Feminist Resource is in the process of planning is headed. Center at Chellis House has a celebration that will take During the lunchtime talk, Above: Sue Racanelli and Lilly Talbert (center) talk about the Vermont Suffrage Centennial Alliance. the topic of who has benefited The Feminist Resource Center Middle school and sixth grade the most from woman suffrage at Chellis House also supported students who are participating was discussed. The conversation the exhibition “Votes … for the Sister-to-Sister Program highlighted how women of Women?” at the Middlebury were invited to tour the exhibit color, disabled women, and/ College Museum of Art, which with Professor Morsman and or working and lower-income opened a few hours after the museum docents on December women have faced difficulties lunchtime talk. Designed 7. After the tour, the students when trying to vote. A modern by Professor Amy Morsman learned about suffrage history day example was the 2018 (History Dept.) and the students in a hands-on activity in which gubernatorial election in of her 2018 first-year seminar, they made buttons of famous Georgia, which was highly the exhibition was filled with suffragists such as Sojourner impacted by lack of early voting historic photos, banners, and Truth and Ida B. Wells. opportunities and accessible memorabilia documenting Suffrage-related activities polling places. The gathering the protracted struggle of the will continue in the spring served as an opportunity for suffrage movement and its with historian Lyn Blackwell feminists of all ages to share uneven legacy for American speaking specifically about viewpoints and exchange ideas women in the decades that suffragists from Vermont. as well as wisdom. followed ratification. ELAINE WEISS TALKS ABOUT THE WOMAN’S HOUR RIGHT: Award-winning journalist Elaine Weiss. Elaine Weiss, an award- Money in the Fight for the black men or women—things winning journalist, started her Vote,” highlighting that the became more complicated. lecture by sharing her motive suffrage movement was also Abolitionists argued that it was for writing her book, The marked by racial inequality and more important to ensure that Woman’s Hour: The Great the class divide. African-American men could Fight to Win the Vote. “As an Suffrage for women was vote and that “the woman’s American woman, I didn’t know first discussed at the Seneca hour” had not arrived yet. how women obtained the right Falls Convention, the first Black men were granted the to vote. A typical misconception woman’s rights convention, in right to vote through the 15th is that women were given 1848, where abolition leader Amendment of 1870. As a the right to vote. In reality, Frederick Douglass also spoke. result, a rift in the movement they needed to fight for three “You MUST demand the occurred and suffrage leaders generations. Thousands of them vote; otherwise, it will not be such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton were harassed and many were given,” he famously said. Many and Susan B. Anthony made incarcerated. The vote was not suffragists had first become racist statements even though granted to them, they had to go politically active by working for they mended fences with out and put their lives on the abolition. In their struggles for Frederic Douglass down the line.” freedom for black Americans line. An extension of the “Votes and equal rights for all citizens, Even though first-generation … for Women?” exhibition, abolitionists and suffragists had suffragists worked for the lecture took place at the a common goal. Yet, when it abolition, their movement also Mahaney Arts Center on came down to prioritizing which discriminated against black October 4. It was titled “The constitutional amendment women. For example, white Woman’s Hour: Sex, Race and to pursue first—suffrage for suffragists tried to prevent African-American journalist when the 19th Amendment letter to American women by and activist Ida B. Wells from was passed in 1920. A Carrie Catt, president of the marching with the Illinois century has gone by, but the National American Woman delegation in a suffrage parade debate on voting rights is as Suffrage Association: before the inauguration of crucial as it has ever been. “The vote of yours has cost president Woodrow Wilson in Indigenous Americans living millions of dollars and the 1913. She marched with her on reservations with no distinct lives of thousands of women … delegation anyway. address are often excluded. The vote is a power, a weapon Who was against woman In some states, strict voter of offense and defense, a suffrage? Many people initially.