Belmont University carries on the tradition of Women’s History Month this March through a month-long series of events featuring students, faculty and Nashville community members and centering around this year’s theme, “Celebrating the Women Who Tell Our Stories.”
Belmont’s Women’s History Month convocations provide a safe space for the predominately female community to celebrate the advancements of women’s rights as well as recognize and empower others to spread the word that there is still more work to do in pursuit of female equality.
“Given the kinds of laws that have been passed in recent history that restrict women’s rights, I think it is more important than ever to bring attention to what is happening,” said Susan Finch, Ph.D.
Finch, the associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and an associate professor of English, is serving as a co-chair of the committee for Women’s History Month along with the Rev. Heather Daugherty. The committee is supported by a student advisory board that works to plan the events alongside the Belmont faculty.
The committee gathered artists, authors and literary theory experts to demonstrate the power that women’s stories have in creating structural change throughout history. One prominent way that women’s stories have been preserved is through scrapbooking.
“We celebrate all the things that men do, but we never talk about these women that were behind them that allowed them to do those things,” said Daugherty.
On March 13, the library displayed dozens of scrapbooks made by Belmont students, faculty and staff from the 1890s to present day in an event titled, “Making Memories: Exploring Belmont University’s Historic Scrapbook Collection.
Part of this collection came from Betty Wisemen, the first Belmont women’s basketball coach. Wisemen is known for starting the women’s basketball program in 1968, but at the same time, she documented the team’s seasons through scrapbooking each year she coached at Belmont.
“If those voices are not recorded in the public sphere, then they get lost,” said Finch. “Stories don’t only allow us to reflect on who we are but build who we want to become.”
Belmont’s Women’s History Month series will conclude on March 30 with Take Back the Night, an international rally designed to promote awareness of sexual and domestic violence and equip students with easily accessible resources for violence prevention and student safety.
“Many people who experience sexual assault keep that and live in silence, so this is the opportunity for us to try to break some of the stigma and shame around sexual assault,” said Daugherty.
Globally, 33% of women 15 years old or older have experienced sexual violence, however, less than 40% of the women who experience violence seek help of any sort.
Mae McAninch, a senior English major on the Women’s History Month student advisory board said these statistics can be easy to overlook.
“Bringing awareness to the fact that oppression is still happening will give people the opportunity to share their stories and express their voices,” said McAninch.
Women’s History Month focuses on creating space for female voices in a historically male-dominated world. Daugherty said the most important way that the Belmont community can amplify silenced voices is by listening because if people don’t hear the stories that women are trying to tell, then their stories can’t make an impact.
“People in power always get their stories told. Where do we give up our power for people to have space to tell their stories? How can we use our privilege to make room for others?” said Daugherty.
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