In 1987, Congress officially declared the month of March as Women’s History Month. This year, Kean University’s Women’s Studies Program is going above and beyond to celebrate the legacy of the gender. Throughout the month, Women’s Studies will be hosting various events such as lectures, presentations, films, and readings in honor of the history of women. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

The Women’s Studies Program at Kean University credits itself as “an interdisciplinary program offering classes and programming relating to women's and gender issues in a variety of departments.” The program does not just engage students in their course offerings, but also offers opportunities such as a full roster of guest speakers, film festivals, scholarships, student presentations, poetry and art events, social gatherings, and a student club. The program has an 18-credit requirement and can be combined with any major. Those interested can find the application on their website.

The Schedule for Women’s History Month is as follows:

• Tuesday, March 24, 2015 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., University Center [UC] room 228 - The Private is Public: Homeownership, Gender, and Neighborhood Organizing in Postwar Philadelphia presented by Dr. Abigail Perkiss, department of history professor. Post WWII, American cities faced the problems of blockbusting and redlining but the female homeowners of Philadelphia retaliated with the integration of their community, creating a stronger force against the rising issues. Dr. Perkiss will explore the role of women in the end of segregation to create public spaces for social interactions.

• Wednesday, March 25, 2015 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., UC room 228 - Exploring the Work of Alice Walker with Dr. John Gruesser, department of English professor, who has published work on Walker, will discuss the author’s life and work. He will also be delving into Walker’s story Everyday Use, which deals with questions of family and heritage. 

• Tuesday, March 31, 2015 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Hennings Hall, Dorothy B. Hennings Lecture Hall, Floor 1 - Women in the Environmental and Climate Change Movements: Experiences of Race, Class and Ethnicity with Dr. Celene Krauss, department of sociology professor. Working class women have played a prominent part in grassroots environmental protests and environmental activism to protect their loved ones. This presentation will discuss the strength and diversity of the underrated women’s environmental movement.

• Thursday, April 2, 2015 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., UC room 228 - Hatshepsut: The Queen Who Would Be King by Dr. James Conyers, Africana studies program and department of sociology professor. Pharaoh Hatshepsut, considered the first powerful female figure in history, reigned over Egypt longer than any other woman of that dynasty. Learn how this queen overcame gender differences to become the greatest king in Egyptian history.
   

For more information, please contact Jill Kimball, academic specialist for the Women's Studies Program, at jikmbal@kean.edu.