It is being called “A Celebration of Women and Diversity at Washington University,” but it is much more than a celebration.
Beginning Monday, April 5, through Saturday, April 10, a unique set of events — mostly free and open to the public — will be offered that demonstrate the talent and vitality that women and minorities bring to the university, the region, the nation and the world.
Sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Washington University in honor of its centennial, the week offers substantive programs developed by chief co-sponsor the Association of Women Faculty as well as a variety of social and cultural activities.
As panelists and experts, WUSTL faculty members will discuss career opportunities and challenges in academia and will share their thoughts regarding the status of women and minority faculty at the university.
A sampling of these discussions include: Meet the Leaders Breakfast Series featuring Women at Washington University Today; Celebrating Women Scholars in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics); Celebrating Women Scholars in Social Work and Public Health; and Celebrating Women Scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Co-sponsoring organizations will present exhibitions, films, receptions, a showcase of African-American contributions to music and a spectacular finale presenting a free performance by the singing group, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir.
The Committee on Women and Art will show the documentary film don’t need you, about the influence of the underground punk rock movement on third-wave feminism. The Association of Black Students (ABS) will put on a cultural showcase featuring performances by African Americans in music. There also will be exhibition tours at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
At the Woman’s Club gala banquet event on Saturday, April 10, author Candace O’Connor will share “Stories of Women at Washington University. Check the Woman’s Club Web site, womansclub.wustl.edu/calendar/diversity/index.html, for information about this ticketed event. Following the dinner is a free performance of the Cultural Heritage Choir.
The Women and Diversity Week events developed by ABS also serves as part of its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium. To emphasize this year’s MLK theme, “Just Like Music,” ABS is sponsoring the Assembly Series program featuring the hip-hop artist and actor Common. Note that Common has rescheduled and will appear on campus Monday, March 29.
The University Libraries will present an exhibition showcasing the accomplishments of women at Washington University throughout WUSTL history. It opens Wednesday, April 7, and runs through the month of May.
A complete list of events is available at womansclub.wustl.edu/calendar/diversity/index.html.
For a printed brochure, contact Susan Colangelo at szcola113@gmail.com. (Due to the possibility of last minute schedule changes, please check the Woman’s Club Web site or any Web site of the sponsoring organizations listed below for the most current information.)
Cultural Heritage Choir performance
The Cultural Heritage Choir is a group of energetic and uniquely talented singers who create dynamic rhythms and sparkling vocals. Focusing on the roots of American music, their repertoire runs the gamut from spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz, funk, soul and hip hop. The six members of the choir will delve deeply into the soul of African-American music, and explore West African and Caribbean influences.
Tillery and others in the group have worked with giants of the recording industry in many genres, from Carlos Santana to Bonnie Raitt to Wilson Pickett.
Another highlight of the evening will be a special guest appearance by WUSTL’s student group, Visions Gospel Choir, who will join Linda Tillery’s group onstage.
For those who can’t make the Saturday night performance, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir will give a preview at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 8, in a location still to be determined.
Creating this week of events took the collective efforts of many sponsoring organizations: African and African-American Studies in Arts & Sciences; Assembly Series; Association of Black Students; Association of Latin American Students; Association of Women Faculty; Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Work and Social Capital; Committee on Women and Art; Department of Music in Arts & Sciences; George Warren Brown School of Social Work; Office of the Provost; Office of Student Activities; Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences; Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts; University Archives of Washington University Libraries; Visions Gospel Choir; Women and the Kemper at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in Arts & Sciences; Women’s Leadership Training Institute; and Women’s Society of Washington University.