The State of Democracy
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BCRW Newsletter Spring 2008 January Volume 16, No. 2 The State of Democracy: Coming of Age Fear of Flying Gender and Political at Barnard, 1968 Erica Jong ’63 Participation Estelle Freedman ’69 With keynote addresses by Lani Guinier and Vandana Shiva 2 BCRW Newsletter Want Democracy? Participate. January 2008: the beginning of a presidential election year in the United States. Billed by some pundits as “the most important election in a generation,” this year offers the opportunity for an historic milestone, as either the first woman or the first African- American might be elected to this highest national office. If previous elections are any indication, however, all of the hype will not be enough to overcome voter apathy. While the 2004 election was also billed critically important, less than half of all eligible voters came to the polls. Feminists have always been at the forefront of movements for democracy, including movements to gain the franchise and expand women’s representation in positions of political leadership. Feminists have also repeatedly sought out means of creating democratic movements that extend well beyond electoral politics. Some of the most exciting social movements in the world today depend on these participatory forms of democracy. This spring’s Scholar & Feminist Conference, “The State of Democracy: Gender and Political Participation,” asks critical questions in this election year about how we can work to make equal political participation for all a reality. Keynote speaker Lani Guinier will address the ways in which political participation in the U.S. can be more just and more expansive, while Vandana Shiva will present the ways in which people’s democracy movements in India are changing the political and the environmental landscape. We bring you a series of events and projects this semester that are tied together by these crucial themes of participation, action, and leadership. We’ll celebrate the great tradition that exists here at Barnard of women directly participating in movements that change the rights and expectations of women in our society, highlighting the work of those who took part in the social movements of the 1960s and ‘70s with a lecture by Estelle Freedman ’68 on the 1968 student protests and a conference in honor of Erica Jong ’63, noted feminist writer and author of the groundbreaking novel Fear of Flying. We also pay tribute to more recent contributors to social change, like the students, professors, and alumnae who’ve sustained the Africana Studies Program at the College, now in its 15th year, and Domestic Workers United, a group working for fair labor standards for domestic workers in New York. We also have the great pleasure of honoring Barnard College President Judith Shapiro, who steps down this year after 14 years of leadership. It gives me great pleasure to take on the role of Acting Director of BCRW while Janet Jakobsen is on leave. In the short time that I’ve been at Barnard I have greatly enjoyed taking part in the projects of the Center, and I’ve found it to be a place of tremendous political energy and intellectual excitement. This semester’s events will reflect and generate this energy and excitement as we engage with the importance of political and social action in these critical times. Join me in recognizing those who have paved the way to social change, and in collaborating with each other on new visions for democracy and justice. Sincerely, Neferti Tadiar Acting Director 15 3 BCRW Newsletter SPRING 2008 Updates BCRW Projects 4 The Newsletter is published biannually by The Barnard Center for Research on Women BCRW Calendar 5 HOurs OF OperatiON BCRW Courses 23 Monday–Friday 10am–5pm Focus on the Issues MAILING ADDRESS Barnard College The State of Democracy 6 101 Barnard Hall 3009 Broadway Africana Studies: Then & Now 9 New York, NY 10027 Revisiting the Revolution 10 Telephone 212.854.2067 Fax 212.854.8294 Web address www.barnard.edu/bcrw Events Web Journal www.barnard.edu/sfonline E-mail [email protected] The Scholar & Feminist Conference: The State of Democracy 12 STAFF Janet R. Jakobsen, Ph.D., Director Looking to the Future: A Panel Discussion in Honor of Judith Shapiro 13 Gisela Fosado, Ph.D., Associate Director Lucy Trainor ’07, Administrative Assistant Celebrating 15 Years of Africana Studies at Barnard 14 Hope Dector, Web Designer Coming of Age at Barnard, 1968 15 RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Shazeeda Bhola '11, Lillian Chargin '10, The Rennert Women in Judaism Forum: Impossible Homecomings 16 Suzanna Denison '09, Kaleigh Dumbach '10, Anna Steffens '10, Chanel Ward '08, Fear of Flying: The Work of Erica Jong 17 Suzanne Wulach '08 Lunchtime Lectures 18 PHOTO CREDITS Cover, Student protesters marching up Broadway, circa Epigenetics and the Writing and Re-writing of Genomic Information 19 1968 / Barnard College Archives . Page 2, Neferti Tadiar / Asiya Khaki. Film Screenings 20 Page 3, DNA strands / Mark Evans © iStockimages. Congo refugees / Lionel Healing © Gettyimages. National Domestic Workers Alliance Conference 21 Page 4, Josephine Baker / unknown. Peace vigil / Toru Yamanaka © Gettyimages. Naomi Klein / courtesy of the author. Page 5, Aztec dancer / © iStockimages. Lani Guinier and Vandana Shiva / courtesy of the speakers. National Domestic Workers protest / courtesy of National Domestic Workers United. Page 6, Election inspector, Harlem, NY / Monika Graff © Gettyimages. Page 7, Voter protest / Mark Simons © Gettyimages. US Capitol dome / Jonathan Larsen © iStockimages. Page 9, Kim F. Hall / Asiya Khaki. Page 10-11, Barnard & Columbia, 1968 / Barnard College Archives. Page 11, Hematopoietic stem cells / photo by Dr. Dennis Kunkel © Gettyimages Page 12, Voters at the polls / Elsa © Gettyimages. Page 13, Judith R. Shapiro / Victoria Cohen and Diane Bondareff. Page 14, Quandra Prettyman / Barnard College Archives. Page 15, Barnard students, 1968 / Barnard College Archives. Estelle Freedman / courtesy of the speaker. Page 16, Havanah street scene / Tim Lecomte © iStockimages. Ruth Behar / courtesy of the speaker. Page 17, Manuscript page from Fear of Flying / courtesy of Erica Jong. Page 18, Dalit women / Sajjad Hussain © Gettyimages. Anupama Rao and Paul Scolieri / Asiya Khaki. 19 20 4 BCRW Newsletter BCRW Projects Scholar From New & Feminist the Feminist Online Collection Solutions Issue 6.1-6.2: Fall 2007/Spring 2008 Spring 2008 Volume 4 Josephine Baker: Women and Towards a Vision a Century in the Militarism of Sexual and Spotlight Curated by Lucy Trainor ‘07 Economic Justice Guest Edited by Kaiama L. Glover Women’s movements and anti-militarism Last November, BCRW hosted a highly movements have a long history of successful lecture by Josephine Ho This double issue of the Scholar & Feminist collaboration in the US and worldwide. and Naomi Klein, as well as a follow- Online celebrates the life and legacy of This exhibit from the BCRW collection up colloquium which brought together Josephine Baker, one of the most important highlights some of the linkages between twenty scholars and feminists who work artists of the twentieth century. Born in St. women’s activism and protest against on understanding and promoting sexual Louis, Missouri in 1906, Baker managed war and militarism from a wide range of and economic justice. Thought papers to enrapture Paris during the Roaring contexts – from anti-nuclear activism in prepared by the colloquium participants, Twenties and beyond through her unique the United Kingdom, to movements for as well as the footage and text from styles of dancing and acting, creating new peace and human rights in El Salvador, to the lectures by Ho and Klein are now expressions of colonial otherness and freedom from US imperialism in Japan and available on our website under New changing ideas of nationhood and “French- many more global efforts to draw attention Feminist Solutions. A report based on this ness.” This issue includes the work of sixteen to and organize around anti-war and anti- colloquium will also be published in the scholars from diverse disciplines who trace militarism causes. From these documents, fall. We would like to thank the Overbrook and analyze this American black girl turned which provide a glimpse into over 20 years Foundation for their generous funding of chorus girl and music hall diva, turned movie of activism, from 1972-1995, we can see the public lecture and the Ford Foundation star and business woman, and the fluidity that movements directed by women – which for their funding of the colloquium and of with which she moved between identities don’t necessarily always define themselves the publication of the forthcoming New and arenas as she continually re-invented as “feminist” movements – have often Feminist Solutions report. herself. The issue includes still photographs, been at the forefront of broader citizen-led clips from her films, as well as Baker inspired actions for peace and justice. Free Electronic Copies performances by the Studio Museum in Download pdf versions of the first three reports by Harlem’s “Hoofer’s House” dancers. www.barnard.edu/bcrw visiting www.barnard.edu/bcrw and clicking on New Feminist Solutions. www.barnard.edu/sfonline Free Printed Copies To request printed copies email us at [email protected] 5 BCRW Newsletter 02/ 03/ 04/ Thursday, 02/07 6:00 PM Saturday, 03/01 Registration at 9:00 AM Tuesday, 04/01 Noon Shifting the Terrain The State of Democracy: The Biopolitics of Caste for Diaspora Studies: Gender and Political A lecture with Anupama Rao Democracy, the Rule of Law, Participation BCRW,