Spring 2013 Volume 64 Issue 1 President’s Message faithfully in many roles at both the Huntsville Branch and state levels. Let’s honor her. Honoring the Fight for Suffrage and Civil Rights Remember that the national convention is June 9-12 in March 3, on the 48th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” at New Orleans. For more information, go to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, I participated in the http://convention.aauw.org/register. The convention is annual walk across the bridge. It was a spiritual located in the middle of the French Quarter in the experience for me, as I’m sure it has been for many over Sheraton Hotel. Speakers include Alabama’s own Lilly the years—an appointment I’ve meant to keep for many, Ledbetter, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Cynthia D’Amour. many years. I chose this particular year because of the There will be even more workshops than there were in assault on voting ID and the Voting Rights Act. Washington two years ago, and wonderful pre- and post- convention tours. On February 27, a life-size bronze statue of Rosa Parks was installed in the Capitol Rotunda, the first of an And remember our own annual meeting April 5-6 (see African-American woman, while, across the street, the the article and agenda/registration form in this Supreme Court was debating on whether Section 5 of the newsletter). Voting Rights Act is still needed. I find this one of the great ironies of history. The challenge to Section 5 is PBS started running a new documentary series, coming from Shelby County, in our own state. MAKERS: Women Who Make America, on February 26. Four of these women are former AAUW fellows; six are When we celebrate the Suffragettes, we honor that same National Conference for College Women Student fight. Some have spilled their blood on the Edmund Leaders (NCCWSL) Women of Distinction. See Pettus Bridge, some in front of the White House. www.makers.com. Primary among the rights and duties of a free citizen is that of voting. Without the vote, we do not have the And a last word: Alabama has its unique problems and power to make our country fairer, more in line with what presents us with unique challenges and opportunities to is good for all our citizens. fight for the rights and opportunities of women and girls. But those challenges and opportunities extend across AAUW of Alabama will continue to push for ethnicities and classes. The middle class is traditionally constitutional reform, pay equity, and, in addition, the the protector of what is democratic in our country. We Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The petition to extend cannot allow our country to become a nation of haves ERA ratification is online at White House Petitions. and have-nots. There will be no opportunities for most Please go online and sign if you have not at women and girls were this so. For a century, AAUW has https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions. Currently, advocated for legislation and policies that encourage and there are almost 29,000 signatures. enforce fair pay in the workplace, such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, I want to encourage you to contribute to the Ellie Lienau and the yet-to-be-passed Paycheck Fairness Act. Until Fund (#4276), under Educational Opportunity Grants on then, at best, it seems women will earn 77 cents on the the AAUW national web site. Sign in to the Member dollar and be somewhat less than first-class citizens. Services Database. To complete the fund, we need to bring it to the required $35,000. Please consider this a Wanda Foster high priority when you give to the Educational State President, AAUW of Alabama Opportunities Fund. Ellie has served AAUW well and Branch News On Tuesday, April 9, Dr. Sis Levin will speak on the topic “What We (AAUW) Can Do to Help Successfully Birmingham Prevent Youth Violence in Birmingham Schools.” On Tuesday, May 14, Evelyn Douglas will speak to Bobbie Piper – President membership about “The 2014 Project Alabama.” Both programs will be held at the Cahaba Pumping Station The Birmingham Branch has had another excellent year Museum, starting at 11:00 a.m. followed by lunch at of programming activities. VP for Programs, Patti noon. People who wish to attend should contact Patti Steelman, lined up many interesting speakers for the Steelman at [email protected] or 615-478-7732. General Meetings, and the Morning and Night Reading Groups have been working their way through the reading lists for the year. The Morning Reading Group will, as Huntsville always, attend a play at the Alabama Shakespeare Cindi Branham – President Festival in Montgomery. This year, To Kill a Mockingbird will be performed as a play on May 18th at The Huntsville Branch has celebrated many great 2 p.m. meetings this year, including “The Politics of Women’s Health” (November), “STEM Education for Women and We are proud of our new website created by Diane Girls” (December) and “Heroic Women of Palestine” Marks and Patti Steelman. The address is (January). In October, they had an outing to attend the http://birmingham-al.aauw.net/ and is full of information play The Perfect 36 at UAHuntsville, about Tennessee’s th th about our branch and activities. role in becoming the 36 state to ratify the 19 Amendment for women’s suffrage. At our annual Membership Coffee in September, we were proud to announce the winners of three $1,000 On March 1, the Branch hosted scholarships from our local Memorial Scholarship Fund. their “Breaking through Barriers Luncheon,” featuring Dr. Last fall, our branch was honored to receive an Deborah Barnhart as speaker. American flag which flew over the United States Capitol She is the CEO and Executive on January 14, 2012. At the request of the Honorable Director of the US Space and Carolyn B. Maloney, member of Congress from New Rocket Center, and she York, this flag, along with others, was flown in honor of discussed the challenge of the 130th Anniversary of the founding of AAUW. It “Building a STEM Generation” came to us because we are the oldest AAUW branch in and its importance to the local economy. Over 130 Alabama. The flag remains on display in care of the attended the event. Proceeds from the luncheon are used Birmingham Water Works Cahaba Pumping Station to send many local college women to attend leadership Museum, where some of our General Meetings and the training at the National Conference for College Women Morning Reading Group meetings are held. We are very Student Leaders (NCCWSL) in Maryland in June. proud of the flag, which will have a plaque explaining its source and acknowledging AAUW. Upcoming meetings for the branch include dinner meetings on April 2 (Wills, Power of Attorney) and May 7 (All Grown Up with ADHA: How Adult Women Cope) at the Covenant Presbyterian Fellowship Hall (301 Drake Ave SE, Huntsville), from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Reservations are accepted by Lois Guendel at 256-880- 8643 or [email protected]. The Huntsville Branch also offers other opportunities for The branch General Meeting on March 9, in honor of members to meet regularly in informal settings. The Women’s History Month, featured speaker Susan lunch.com group is open to members who want to have Reynolds, who talked about author Augusta Evans lunch on any Friday at a local restaurant. And several Wilson. Her novel St. Elmo ranked just behind Uncle times a year, the branch hosts a Cocktails & Convos Tom’s Cabin in popularity in the mid-nineteenth century event where current and potential members can mix and in the U.S. and had over a million readers within the first mingle while enjoying “Dutch Treat” food and drink in a four months of its publication. casual setting. 2 Spring 2013 Volume 64 Issue 1 Montevallo Decatur Sandra Lott & Mary Jo Buff, Co-Presidents Kaye Anderson & Aylett Dickman, Co-Presidents The Montevallo Branch once again has had a year In October, the Decatur Branch learned about a violin packed with activities. Many of these include programs training program established for the Decatur schools by that focus on branch priorities of Voter Education and a volunteer group that works with at-risk youth. In Literacy. Among the programs are the following: November, Judge Sherrie Paler talked about the issues that women face in the Justice system. - The branch hosted a Membership reception in September for new and returning members. In January, Shay Farley from the - In October, Elaine Hughes, Ruth Robertson and Jane Alabama Appleseed organization Clayton discussed AAUW’s participation in the adult braved a snow storm to drive from literacy programs of the Shelby County Literacy Montgomery to speak about the Council. predatory lending industry and the - The branch held their annual Holiday Reception and legislation that her group has drafted Bazaar on November 29, to raise money for AAUW to establish reasonable regulation of funds, the Community literacy projects (like Reading is the industry. Our speaker for February was Bob Jones Fundamental) and the new AAUW Hallie Farmer from Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform, who Legacy Scholarship. Donations to this scholarship brought us up to date on the status of efforts to moder- honoring Hallie Farmer, one of AAUW’s most revered nize and modify the Alabama Constitution using the heroes, may be sent to the University of Montevallo article-by-article method. Alumni Office, c/o Jeremy Ward, Station 6215, Montevallo, AL, 35115. In April, the Decatur Branch will hear from a speaker - Brazilian Fulbright Professor Marli Rosa spoke at the from the Department of Public Health about the status of January meeting on “The Lives of Women in Brazil.” Health Insurance Laws with all of the changes that have - The Black Heritage event featured the award winning been going on.