Category Archives: Uncategorized

International Women’s Day | March 8, 2012 | 6:30 pm

(UPCOMING LECTURE) The Fabric of Hope & Resistance: North Carolina Women On Strike

March 8, 2012 | 6:30 pm | Trinity Oaks Special Events Room

Dr. Roxanne Newton
Director, Humanities & Fine Arts, Mitchell Community College

Though they have often been silent, NC women who have been on strike have powerful stories to tell. Their voices are rarely heard in a state that has consistently maintained the lowest rate of unionism. These women worked in textiles, telecommunications, tire manufacturing, and paper production and participated in disputes that span the decades from the General Textile Strike of 1934 to strikes in 1999 and 2001. Some of their stories tell of finding strength and resilience in so-called “men’s” jobs, competing in non-traditional jobs for women. Other narratives tell of their many sacrifices as the women suppressed their own needs in order to organize and participate in unions while also taking care of their families or co-workers. A third group of stories reveals the women’s evolution from unionists to activists, demonstrating their solidarity with union sisters and brothers while advocating for economic and social justice. A fourth set of narratives centers on union feminists’ stories of leadership in promoting gender and racial equality, workplace democracy, and community justice. As a result of their participation in labor disputes, these NC women have woven powerful tapestries of protest, resistance, hope, and transcendence.

This project is made possible by funding from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Speaker Biography: The daughter and granddaughter of mill workers, Roxanne Newton grew up in a small NC textile town. Currently she is dean of the Humanities and Fine Arts Division at Mitchell Community College in Statesville where she teaches English and humanities courses. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations and Cultural Studies from UNC Greensboro. During the past 10 years, Roxanne has developed interdisciplinary courses including “American Women’s Studies,” “Working Lives: Multicultural Perspectives,” “The Immigrant Experience in America,” and “Race in America.” Her humanities classes have created history quilts and have collected oral histories of immigrants and workers in Iredell County. The NC Women’s History Quilt, made by Roxanne and her women’s studies students, was acquired by the NC Museum of History. Her research interests include oral histories, collaborative learning, and labor history. She is the author of Women Workers on Strike: Narratives of Southern Women Unionists, published by Routledge in 2007.

NCCWSL Benefit & Holiday Covered Dish Dinner

Last night AAUW Salisbury got together for our annual NCCWSL Benefit and Holiday Covered Dish Dinner.

We had some fantastic entertainment, a harpist, and a presentation on the uses (past & present of aprons).  Here are some of the pictures from the event.

Covered Dish Dinner Meeting,
Friday December 9, 2011 6:30 PM
Hidden Creek Clubhouse
Minutes

The AAUW, Salisbury Branch met on Friday December 9, 2011 at the Hidden Creek Clubhouse at 6:30 PM. Brunetta Franklin, President, welcomed everyone to the meeting. The following members were present: Brunetta Franklin, Eileen Hanson-Kelly, Holly Czuba, Nancy Bilson, Kathy Taber, Billie Simmons, Edith Alcorn, Greg Alcorn, Kathy Pulliam, Harriet Murphy, Linda Hauze, Carol Cody, Erma Scarlette, Bonnie Hodges, and Elaine Stiller. The following members were absent: Dixie Scott, Lori Eberly, Carolyn Blackman, Zebbie Bradley-Bondurant, Norma Goldman, Catrelia Hunter, Ann Medlin, Linda Kesler, Alyce Lanier, Becky Hammill, Renee McCachren, Lollie Streiff, Nicole Sherrill-Corry, Judy Grissom, Jeannie Sherrill, and Donna Wiseman.

Guests were: Ed Kelly, Dick Smith, Herb Maier, Joyce Ingram, Watson Murphy, and Faith Alessio.

Harriet Murphy introduced tonight’s entertainment, Faith Alessio, harpist and Joyce Ingram, who gave the program later during the meeting. Watson Murphy gave the blessing and everyone enjoyed the dinner. Faith played a variety of pieces for the harp including Christmas songs while everyone ate their dinner.

Brunetta held a brief business meeting before the program. Holiday Night Out held the Saturday after Thanksgiving in Downtown Salisbury was successful for us. We had an information table and people could find out about AAUW. Brunetta thanked Holly Czuba for all her work on this and the website. Senders and receivers was still being worked on by the NCAAUW, but hopefully up and going in the New Year. Brunetta said that the NCCWSL application form was ready to go out and copies were available for members to take. We will be sending two young women to the NCCWSL Conference this year. Donations were also taken up for the NCCWSL scholarships that we give in June for the conference. There being no further business, we proceeded with the program.

Harriet introduced our speaker, Joyce Ingram who gave an informative program on aprons. She said this program should stir up memories from those who remember their grandmothers and mothers wearing aprons while cooking, working, etc in the house as she showed a variety of aprons to the group.

Some highlights were: Most women wore aprons as they worked in the house as they helped to keep their dresses clean. Aprons were kept on a nail or wooden peg when not in use in the kitchen. White aprons were worn when a special guest like the minister came calling. Many aprons were made of 3 clean feed sacks as well as old shirts and no two were alike. Aprons could hold a variety of items in their pockets or bibs such as pins, clothespins, handkerchiefs, snuff cans, and papers. One could tell what kind of work a woman had done that day by just looking at the stains and spots left on an apron. Aprons could be flapped up and down to “cool one off during a hot flash” or to signal someone to come in. Joyce ended by saying “Apron strings can never be cut because their memories will always remain”. An apron was given as a door prize. Harriet thanked both Faith and Joyce for being at our meeting and gave then each a copy of “Sketches of Old Rowan”.

Brunetta thanked everyone for coming and special thanks were given to Harriet and Watson Murphy as our hosts for the evening. A card and poinsettia were presented to them.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:45.

 

Why So Few? (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) by Dr. Kathy Taber-Maier | September 8, 2011

This past Thursday I went to my first AAUW meeting! Dr. Kathy Taber-Maier, a neurobiologist at the local VA hospital working in research and mentoring clinicians, gave the group a presentation titled “Why So Few? (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – STEM). The presentation had a ton of interesting information and helped remind me of some things I learned getting my women’s studies minor at UNC.

Here is a brief synopsis of Dr. Taber-Maier’s talk based on the notes I took.  To read more, check this out.

Why do we want more women in STEM occupations?

Simply put, everyone benefits from the different perspectives provided when there are a variety of backgrounds, experiences and personalities involved in research, development, creation and thought leadership.

  • The first round of airbags put in automobiles were designed by and tested on men, resulting in unintended deaths of women and children that could have been avoided had the design process included a more diverse group of people.
  • Early voice recognition systems did not recognize women’s voices.
  • It was only when women became involved in research on the development of babies brains and personalities that the tabula rasa view was questioned, (every mother knows that their children are born with a personality).

Genetic Excuses ~ Women just can cut it? (Environmental & Cultural Influences)

  • Women just aren’t as good at math.
  • Women’s spacial skills aren’t as good.
Some additional considerations.
  • Male children are given toys at a young age that expose them to spacial skills at a young age.
  • There have been numerous studies to date that have demonstrated exposing women to skills they have traditionally been viewed as ‘inefficient’ in, can increase their skill level, refuting the ‘inherent’ belief.  If you can change an outcome in a single intervention, (and in less than a generation), it is not an innate trait.

Implicit Versus Explicit Bias

Our society has gotten to the point where explicit bias (overt sexism, racism, etc) is frowned upon. Laws exist to combat such injustices.  But there are biases that are much more difficult to eradicate because they are ingrained in our social subconscious.  For more information on the studies that look at implicit bias read the full article.