Wisdom, Words & omen

Michigan State University Womens Resource Center 332 Union Building East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517-353-1635 Fax: 517-432-3846 E-mail: wrc@msu.edu Website: www.wrc.msu.edu
April 2009

Slavery to Freedom:
An American Odyssey
By: Saba Khan

February is Black History month and the College of Osteopathic
medicine has annually hosted a series called from Slavery to Free-
dom. This year, I had the privilege of attending luncheons with
these speakers and hearing their thoughts and opinions about mul-
ticulturalism, the history of civil rights, racism, and other related
topics.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph E Lowry was scheduled to speak for the first
event, but was unable to come. Had he come he would have been
impressed with the unity and discussion that was occurring within
such a diverse group of individuals. There was a deep discussion
about the presence of racism in our communities and how we can
overcome these challenges. We took time to celebrate how far we
have come in the fight against racism and social injustice, and also
reminded ourselves of how far we have left to go, before we can
proclaim equality does indeed exist.

Mr. Clarence B. Jones was the series second speaker. Mr. Jones was
a lawyer from Dr. Martin Luther King and a partner Carrier, Ber-
lind, and Weill. Clarence Jones demeanor and speech was reminis-
cent of great leaders of our past. He reminded us that we all have
a deep connection with the past, including the history of our coun-
try. The changes we see today and the opportunities for advance-
ment were created years ago through the hard work of strong
black leaders such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa
Parks among many others. Jones made a likening to the phrase
"we shall overcome" to the popular slogan in Obama's campaign
"yes we can". It is true that the challenges we face now may be
different than the challenges we faced years ago, but they call for
the same unity. People from different backgrounds came together
to make a collective decision to make a change. While recognizing
the leaders of our past and supporting the leaders of our future,
we should all remember to come together to solve our issues and
progress as a better nation.

Mr. Dick Gregory is a comedian, human rights activist, and author.
Mr. Gregory was a very provocative speaker and refused to toler-
ate racism. He was very specific about being pro-active. He was a
powerful speaker and passionate about speaking out against the
growth of ignorance within our communities. He made an appro-
priate point when he said, "You cant give someone else the right
to make you feel any less that what you are. When dealing with
injustice sometimes you must change the system, not fight it.

Cheryl Townsend Gilkes is a Professor of African-American studies
and Sociology at Colby College. Mrs. Gilkes discussed much about
the benefits and importance of African-American female sororities
and male fraternities. She believes that there is an important in-
tergenerational social connection provided by sororities and frater-
nities. It is necessary for individuals to have a place where they
belong and are supported. She brought this up in reference to the
importance of feminism and understanding the definition of a
womanist. Ms. Gilkes made an important point that even when
racist Jim Crow laws were removed, more societal problems were
uncovered. This is why it is important to recognize that although
progress has been made in our society, there is still a long way to
g o b e f o r e w e c a n r e a c h e q u a l i t y .

It is essential to recognize that the effects of the slavery that oc-
curred in America are not an isolated event. It is something that
runs deep in our histories roots, affecting the social hierarchy that is
present today. The reminder of past slavery is still present in cur-
rent day racism, not only with African Americans, but also with
women, gays and lesbians. Anyone can be subject to hate and
racism. These speakers reminded me that the fight for respect and
equality is not easy, but it is also not impossible. We have come a
long way since the days of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, but
we must continue in our quest to gain equality for all people.
April is...
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
National Poetry Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
April Fools Day (April 1)
World Health Day (April 7)
World Autism Awareness Day (April 2)
Thai New Year (April 13)
Earth Day (April 22)
Easter (April 12)

Women Waxing-Poetic
By: Maria Mattson

After eleven suspenseful months, the time to celebrate meter,
rhyme, lyricism, and metaphor is finally here! April is National Po-
etry Month as it has been since the concept was originally suggest-
ed over ten years ago by the Academy of American Poets. Too
often, poetry is given a bum rap for being boring, complicated,
and inaccessible to the contemporary reader. However, this unfor-
tunate stereotype is as false as it is disheartening. The following
women have crafted strands of words together in an unforgettable
manner on a mission to speak their minds...

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Born in 1892, this American lyrical poet and playwright was the first
woman ever to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923. Her
talent was recognized at the young age of twenty when she en-
tered her now famous poem Renascence into a magazine contest.
She was notorious for her bohemian lifestyle, open bisexuality, and
overall spunky, independent personality.

Love is Not All
By: Edna St. Vincent Millay

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again;
Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,
Or nagged by want past resolution's power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It well may be. I do not think I would.

Staceyann Chin

A Jamaican National now living in New York City, Ms. Chin is a full
time poet. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the
Washington Post, and the Pittsburgh Daily. She has been sharing
publicly her activist words since 1998. You can read more about her
at www.staceyannchin.com.

Neighbors: for centuries (excerpt)

We have been fighting for this
for centuries
and we are tired
and angry and entitled and hungrywe are also fleshand breath
and
beauty
the forgotten duty of the sisterhood
we are bone and broken
and bleeding and needing to be heard
I do not wish for you
to relinquish privilege
but the definition of the word
privilege must
widen
include the hand of every woman
whose lips were made thinner by the knife of religion
the concerns presented
must be representative of the collective
our politics must ground itself
in more than the wishes of the favored few
none of this is novel to you
these conditions are absolute
and necessary
and non-negotiable
and long overdue
you have to hear us
see us
white woman you have to speak to us soon
else you might have the colored girls
guerilla resisting
in a new a war against you

Ashley Nesby

Political Science senior, Ms. Ashley Nesby will be recognized for her
poem Greater Woman Works in Me by the MSU Office of Inclusions
Excellence in Diversity Students Making a Difference Through Ar-
tistic Expression Award this month.

Composing poetry on and off for the past ten years, Ms. Nesby finds
that the words come with the greatest ease when inspired by a
challenge such as the contest hosted by the Office of Inclusion.

Greater Woman Works in Me
By: Ashley Nesby

Greater Woman is the greater of me
I might not always see her, but she always sees me
She knows my weakness and capabilities
Always seeking to maximize the greater in me
Greater Woman is the epitome of legacy
She has birthed the world and fought for liberty
Seeing a breach she reached out
To bridge the gap between hope and opportunity
Greater Woman, Greater Woman has no limits
She adheres to no boundaries because
It was Greater Woman who fought for me to be free.
Invincibly living, she moves with purpose and dignity
OH, I saw Greater Womans legacy in Rosa Parks and Susan B.
Anthony
In Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Oprah Winfrey
Sojourner Truth, Clara Barton, my mother
And yesterday as I wrote my goals, I saw her in me
She told me there was no purpose in having goals with no action
I could desire all I want but it means nothing until I put them in
practice
Greater Woman said that she wasnt through, but she had a mis-
sion
And she wanted to use me,
Yes, no, wait, I think she said your name too
Greater Woman knew I had a plan
So she inspired me to be a good leader
My mistake, she actually said be a greater woman as I lead her
As she spoke I felt passion awake inside of me,
Being attentive, she leaned in and whispered
That she was hungry and it was time to feed
So if I didnt fulfill my purpose she couldnt eat
National Sexual
Assault Awareness Month

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness
Month and the Womens Resource Center
wants you to be informed and prepared. Ac-
cording to CMUs Residence Life Sexual As-
sault Statistics, fewer than one in three women
that are assaulted by strangers ever come
forward, and only 1 in 100 will report it to the
police if victimized by a date/acquaintance. It
is estimated that roughly half of sexual assault victims never tell a soul
and one in six college age women will experience some form of sexual
assault by the time they are done with school. If you or someone you
know has experienced sexual assault, here are many links for resources
that will be able to help through this difficult time. Remember, as many
women never report these crimes that are emotionally and physically
damaging, it may be up to you to encourage a friend to seek assistance.

Services and Shelters In Your Area.....1-800-799-7233
Womens Resource Center...517-353-1635
Sexual Assault Crisis/Counseling Center...517-355-8270
MSU Safe Place.....517-355-1100
Ingham County Prosecutors Office Domestic Violence
Unit....517-483-6259

FACTS
In Michigan, a victim does not need to say no, they must give
con-sent.
Rapists will repeat successful behavior.
It is a myth that the way a woman dresses will attract a rapist.
Men are victims of sexual assault and rape too.
Only 13% of rapes are interracial. The vast majority of those
involve black women assaulted by white men.
Studies of convicted male rapists indicate that 60% were
married and involved in normal, healthy sexual relationships.
A person is not considered capable of giving consent if they are
under the influence of alcohol or drugs, developmentally
delayed, unconscious or sleeping, or if they are under the age
of consent, which varies by state.
Only one in 20 rapists will EVER spend a night in jail.

Women Waxing Poetic (contd from page 2)

If she couldnt eat then the Greater Woman would cease to be
Greater Woman, Greater Woman, the Greater woman that works
in me.

So if I didnt fulfill my purpose she couldnt eat
If she couldnt eat then the Greater Woman would cease to be
Greater Woman, Greater Woman, the Greater woman that works
in me.

Who is this Greater Woman? According to Ms. Nesby, she
represents our internal driving force and persistent motiva-
tion...and doesnt have to be a person or a spirit. Greater Woman
can be an experience. When you look at the lives of some of the
Women mentioned in the poem, even yourself, you have to recog-
nize that against some odds, we were able to continue to move
forward despite any short comings, trials, fears, or discourage-
ments. Greater Woman is always there, even if we do not recog-
nize her companionship. As put by this thoughtful poet, Greater
Woman never leaves, in the same way that your purpose, love,
motivation are always there even if you are not living in them. Just
because you do not recognize something, does not mean that it is
nonexistent. That is the foundation of truth. It is truth, no matter
what.

Have you heard your Greater Woman calling you lately?

If you are interested in exploring more, the following is a list of vari-
ous other female word artists working past and present:

Maya Angelou Margaret Atwood Ros Barber Gwendolyn
Brooks Willa Cather Emily Dickenson Ani Difranco Hilda
Doolittle Jewel Kilcher Audre Lorde Nimah Nawwab Marge
Piercy Sylvia Plath Adrienne Rich Anne Sexton Phillis
Wheatley
Gender Matters...
The Importance of Vitamin D

It is very easy to forget your multivitamin in the morning. All those
half-empty outdated bottles were bought with the best intentions,
but for some reason after about a week of being good taking a
vitamin just seems to fall by the wayside for a lot of us. But medical
experts have uncovered a big reason to start being good about the
vitamins, and it affects a wide range of people-
Vitamin D.

If you are over 50, get very little sun exposure,
have kidney disease, darker skin, or are lactose
intolerant or vegan, you are at risk for a Vita-
min D deficiency. Since when is a vitamin so
important to your overall health? When it has
been linked to osteoporosis, high blood pressure,
cancer, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, seasonal affective
disorder, autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, and pe-
ripheral artery disease. That means that vitamin D affects every-
thing from your mood to your bones and since as many as 36%
Americans are vitamin D deficient, it is no surprise that there has
been a rise in every single aforementioned condition.

V itamin D is found in butter, eggs, and fish liver oils. It is also a
common additive to many breakfast cereals and milk. But perhaps
the easiest and most common way to get your vitamin D is by di-
rect exposure to
Importance of Vitamin D, con. sunlight, which causes production in
your skin. Since many of us work indoors, lead busy lives, and spend
up to 6 months of the year in snowy darkness, the body no longer
gets enough necessary sunlight for vitamin D production. Com-
bined with the fact that it is not naturally present in many foods,
and it is easy to see how many people are now finding themselves
D deficient.

It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning
any sort of vitamin or supplement regimen, but if you think you
might be as risk for a vitamin D deficiency, finding out now can
prevent many health problems in the future. Doing something as
simple as taking a vitamin or getting a little sun can improve your
health greatly in the long run!
Money Saving Tip
Utilize online banking! Not only does it keep you in better
touch with your finances, making it harder to overdraft, but
you will save money on things like stamps too!
WRC Staff WRC Staff WRC Staff WRC Staff: Patricia M. Lowrie, Director; Jayne Schuiteman,
Associate Professor and Personal Safety Coordinator; Jodi
Roberto Hancock, Educational Program Coordinator; Audrey C.
Smith, Office Manager; Evette Chavez Lockhart, Administrative
Assistant; Pamela Butler, Special Projects Coordinator; WRC WRC WRC WRC
Students: Students: Students: Students: Ebony Jennings, Lydia Kauppi, Saba Kahn, Emily
Matthews, Maria Mattson and Ashley Nesby, Department Aides.
Tuesday, April 7: The White House Project:
Training for a Future in Political Office, 6:00 - 8:00PM, Lake
Huron Room (MSU Union 3rd floor), sponsored by WILD (Womens
Initiative for Leadership Development) and the MSU Womens
Resource Center.

Wed.-Fri., April 8-10: Health Care and Com-
munities of Color, Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center. Six
panels, four keynote addresses, roundtable discussion, Video
and accompanying discussion. Pre-registration required before
April 3 at www.jmc.msu.edu/raceconf. Questions: Donna Hof-
meister 517-353-9977.

Monday, April 13: Understanding Credit and
How It Affects YOU! 6:00 - 7:30PM, 252 Erikson Hall, free pizza!
sponsored by WILD (Womens Initiative for Leadership Develop-
ment) and the MSU Womens Resource Center.

Wednesday, April 15: College to Career Panel,
7:00 - 8:30PM, 252 Erikson Hall, sponsored by WILD (Womens
Initiative for Leadership Development) and the MSU Womens
Resource Center.

Saturday, April 18: 6th Annual Girls Get Go-
ing Free Sports Clinic for 3rd to 8th Grade Girls. 8:30AM -
1PM, MSUs IM Sports West Building, meet MSU women athletes,
win door prizes, free t-shirts for all participants! Pre-Registration is
REUIRED! To register, visit www.imsports.msu.edu.

Thursday, April 23: Take Your Child to Work
Day, 8:00AM - 3:00PM, Michigan State University Campus, a
complete listing of tour sites and activities will be posted at
www.wrc.msu.edu the week of Monday, April 20, 2009. Co-
sponsored by MSU Career Services and Placement, Clerical-
Technical Union of MSU, MSU Family Resource Center, MSU Stu-
dent Alumni Foundation, and the MSU Womens Resource Center.

Thursday, April 23: Car Care Advice and Vehi-
cle Maintenance Tips presented by Bryce McCreary, Jeremy
White, and Ray Hilton, 12:00N - 1:00PM, MSU FCU Community
Room, 600 E. Crescent Road, East Lansing. RSVP to MSU FCU,
664.4858.
The Young Women, Strong Leaders Confer-
ence provides skill development and profes-
sional mentoring opportunities to prepare you
for success in your professional life. In this
one-day workshop, you will meet women leadersstudent, academic,
corporate, and politicalfrom your region and across the state, building
a network that will enable you to successfully work to improve the status
of Michigan women and your own leadership abilities.

THREE CONVENIENT DATES AND LOCATIONS:
Pick the one that fits best!

Friday, March 20, 2009
Kirkhof Center, Grand Valley State University

Friday, March 27, 2009
McGregor Center, Wayne State University

Friday, April 17, 2009
Tyler-Van Dusen Center, Alma College

For more information and to download a registration form,
please visit: wrc.msu.edu/ywsl.php.

Please Join the Michigan State University Wom- Please Join the Michigan State University Wom- Please Join the Michigan State University Wom- Please Join the Michigan State University Wom-
ens Resource Center ens Resource Center ens Resource Center ens Resource Center
for our Annual Luncheon Celebration: for our Annual Luncheon Celebration: for our Annual Luncheon Celebration: for our Annual Luncheon Celebration:
Women Matter
Celebrating the Women of MSU
and Their Accomplishments
Thursday, May 1, 2009 Parlor Room C, MSU Union

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Dr. Leslie R. Wolfe, President
Center for Women Policy Studies
Washington, DC

Registration Deadline April 28, 2009 by
1:00 pm
Download Registration form at
www.wrc.msu.edu

There will be a charge of $15.00 to offset cost of lunch
April 22nd is...





E a r t h D a y 2 0 0 9

Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poi-
soned and the last sh been caught will we
realize we cannot eat money.

Please Join the Michigan State University Womens Resource Center Please Join the Michigan State University Womens Resource Center Please Join the Michigan State University Womens Resource Center Please Join the Michigan State University Womens Resource Center
for our Annual Luncheon Celebration: for our Annual Luncheon Celebration: for our Annual Luncheon Celebration: for our Annual Luncheon Celebration:


Celebrating the Women of MSU and Their Accomplishments







The Art of Navigating Institutional Hurdles

LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Dr. Judi Brown Clarke, Director of Multicultural Affairs and Inclusion
College of Communication Arts and Sciences
Michigan State University
The tradition of honoring colleagues, whether faculty, staff or student, with individual personal reflections of the extraordinary
accomplishments that go unacknowledged continues. As in the past, you are encouraged to pay special tribute to a colleague
whose day-to-day contributions have positively impacted your life and perhaps the lives of others. All personal vignettes are
limited to five minutes. Please direct questions to the Womens Resource Center, 353-1635.
.
Registration Deadline: Monday, April 28, 2008 by 1 p.m.

There will be a nominal charge of $15.00 to offset the cost of lunch.


REGISTRATION FORM
Women Matter: Celebrating the Women of MSU and Their Accomplishments

Please return this form, with a check or money order ($15/person ) made payable to MSU, to:
MSU Womens Resource Center; An: Women Maer; 332 Union Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1029.
Reservaons are due by Monday, April 28, 2008.

Name: _______________________________ Phone: _______________________ Email: _________________________
___ I will be able to aend.
___ I will not be able to aend, but my donaon of $________ is enclosed to support further WRC programming.

Meal Choice: ____Pasta Prima Vera ____Chicken Oscar Payment: ___check/money order ___ cash ___JVE________________

(Oponal) ____ I will pay tribute to: _____________________________________________________________________

(Feel free to duplicate as needed.)
Advancing Knowledge.
Transforming Lives.

Thursday, May 1, 2008 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Parlor Room C, MSU Union (2nd Floor)

Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be
requested by contacting the Womens Resource Center by
phone (353-1635) one week before the event. Requests
received after this date will be honored whenever possible.