While history has long overlooked women’s contributions to society, Women’s History Month aims to change that.
“Until recently, recorded history has just been the achievements of dead white men,” said Dr. Sarah Blomeley, associate professor of English at Belmont.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Belmont will host events throughout March to celebrate achievements made by women of various backgrounds.
Blomeley organized these events with Dr. Amy Hodges Hamilton, professor of English. The two both research subjects like the effect of rhetoric on women.
This is the sixth year Blomeley has been involved with Women’s History Month events at Belmont.
“Without a sense of history it’s hard for a group to have a sense of identity or a sense of a future,” Blomeley said.
Blomeley wanted to make sure these events represent the voices of women with diverse backgrounds, so she designed them with an intersectional perspective in mind.
“Our goal is to highlight and tell as many stories as possible,” Blomeley said.
The idea of intersectionality came about from the ideas of a legal scholar named Kimberlé Crenshaw and focuses on the fact that combinations of identity markers like race and sex, affect people’s experiences differently.
With that in mind, the events are meant to help students realize they are not alone in their experiences.
“It’s not a solo, it’s a chorus,” Blomeley said.
Blomeley kicked off the month by presenting some of her research findings on March 1. On March 12, a chapel event showcased women working to rehabilitate sex trafficking victims both in the Dominican Republic and here in Nashville.
Five more events are scheduled for the month including a dance performance, a writing workshop and a Take Back the Night march. All the events provide convocation credit in different categories.
To find out more about Women’s History Month and Belmont’s events,click here.
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This article written by Katie Knipper.
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