UNC Asheville Holds Events in Observance of Women's History Month

UNC Asheville will celebrate Women’s History Month throughout February and March with 22 special events. Among the highlights will be a keynote address by noted feminist theologian Rev. Carter Heyward, the sixth annual “F-Word Film Festival” and a host of lectures. Events are free and open to the public.

** Rev. Heyward will give the keynote address at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 21, at UNC Asheville’s Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall. Rev. Heyward, who was raised in Hendersonville and Asheville, will discuss “‘Godding’ and Other Queer Notions: Reflections by a Lesbian Feminist Christian Theologian of Liberation.” Heyward was one of the first 11 women deacons ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1974, two years before the Episcopalian church passed legislation allowing it. Five years later, she created further debate in the church by revealing that she is a lesbian. Since then, she has worked as a lesbian feminist theologian of liberation and has particular interest in queer theology. Rev. Heyward received her doctorate from Union Theological Seminary and is the author of 11 books. She serves as professor of theology at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., and is a founder of Free Reign Center, a therapeutic horseback riding and horse care center for people with disabilities in Brevard, N.C.

** The sixth annual “F-Word Film Festival: A Celebration of Images By and About Women (But for All Audiences)” will screen six feminist documentaries at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 23, and Friday, March 24, in UNC Asheville’s Humanities Lecture Hall. Panel discussions with UNC Asheville faculty and students will follow the screenings both nights.

“In My Father’s Church,” “Mirror Mirror” and “After the Montreal Massacre” will be screened on Thursday, March 23. “In My Father’s Church” follows the struggles of Charissa, a lesbian and daughter of a minister who wants a church wedding. “Mirror Mirror” explores the relationship between a woman’s body image and the quest for an idealized female form. “After the Montreal Massacre” documents the 1989 massacre of 14 women students at the University of Montreal.

“Desire,” “Choice Thoughts: Reflections on the Birth Control War” and “The Wash: A Cleaning Story” will be screened on Friday, March 24. Nearly a decade in the making, “Desire” documents the challenges and desires facing a diverse group of young New Orleans women as they film their own life stories. “Choice Thoughts: Reflections on the Birth Control War” is a fast-paced look at 100 years in the fight for birth control and legalized abortion. “The Wash: A Cleaning Story” is an autobiographical narrative exploring themes of incest, family denial, silence and love.

** The Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series will explore a wide range of topics. Guests are invited to bring a packed lunch to eat while they listen.

March 2 – “Lead Poisoning,” Linda Block of UNC Asheville’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, noon, Ramsey Library’s Red Oak Room

March 3 – “Women Remember: Oral Histories of Race Relations and the Civil Rights Movement,” student presentations, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 13 – “Social Justice, the Environment and Third World Women,” UNC Asheville senior Jennifer Herget, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 14 – “The Relevance of Gender for Eliminating Weapons of Mass Destruction,” Dot Sulock, UNC Asheville mathematics lecturer, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 15 – “International Women’s Day: Gathering the Women to Save the World,” local feminist activist H. Byron Ballard, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 16 – “When Did Genocide Begin? The Women of Darfur Perspective,” Dr. Afaf Omer, UNC Asheville associate professor of sociology and Africana Studies program director, 12:15 p.m., Ramsey Library’s Red Oak Room

March 20 – “Evaluation of a Self-Esteem Program for At-Risk Adolescent Girls,” UNC Asheville senior Laura Walton, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 21 – “Women’s Historic Leadership Roles in Voluntary Service,” Dr. Merritt Moseley, UNC Asheville literature and language professor and Key Center Professor, 12:15 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 22 – “Men and Women in Broughton Hospital of Morganton, N.C., 1883-1891,” UNC Asheville senior Megan Norman, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 24 – “Beatrice d’Este,” UNC Asheville Humanities Program Lecturer Ann Dunn, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 27 – “Dealing with Sexual Harassment on the Job,” Cathy Mitchell, UNC Asheville mass communication professor, 12:45 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 28 – “The Effects of the Welfare Reform of 1996: 10 Years Later,” UNC Asheville senior B. Scott McNeill, 12:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

** In conjunction with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a variety of events focusing on women’s health will be presented:

February 27 – “Wasted: A Panel on Eating Disorders,” 3 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

February 28 – “Voices of Hope: Personal Stories of Eating Disorders and Recovery,” 12:15 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 1 – “Are We Really What We Eat?” psychologist Judith Pohl and nutritionist Sandra Buchanan, 6:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 2 – Screening and discussion of “Killing Us Softly 3,” 4:45 p.m., Highsmith University Union, Mountain Suites

** Other special lectures and events include:

March 16 – “Incarcerated Women of Conscience,” local activist and author Clare Hanrahan, 7 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 20 – “Drag Kinging: Radical Theory in Action,” UNC Asheville Health and Wellness Department Assistant Professor Amy Lanou, 3:30 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall

March 29 – Performance of “Veil of a Fractured Moon,” Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre and visual artist Shelley Pereda, noon, location TBA

For more information, call the UNC Asheville Women’s Studies Program at 828/251-6419 or click on the Web site.

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Tracey Rizzo, UNC Asheville Women’s Studies Program Director, 828/251-6315

• Jill Yarnall, UNC Asheville Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526