Group to boost feminist activity

Five students attended conference, now organize information to increase activism at University.

Five University students traveled to the NOW Women of Color and Allies Summit in Arlington, Va., this past weekend and returned with vigor, ready to promote feminist activism on campus.

"I have 10 pages of notes I need to sort through because we just got so much helpful information," said Women Advocates co-organizer Kristen Beam (senior-English).

Beam was joined by three other Women Advocates members and one Black Caucus member at the conference sponsored by the National Organization for Women. Titled "Linking Arms in Dangerous Times," the conference attracted about 500 participants, Beam said, and was aimed at including women of color in the feminist movement.

- Richeé Byrd, co-chair of Black Caucus' political services committee

"We went to informational workshops on topics like the oppression of women in Afghanistan, and we went to skills-building workshops on how to form coalitions, get diversity into an organization, and represent the needs of women from different backgrounds," Beam said.
Although the summit was an "amazing experience," Women Advocates member Danielle Tarris (junior-women's studies) said she may have learned more from the people she went with than from the conference itself -- the highlight of her weekend was her new-found friendship with Byrd. Talking openly with Byrd about racism and sexism gave her a better understanding of what it is like to be a black woman at the University, she said.

With the weekend now behind her, Tarris said she would like to utilize her experiences to unite women of color and white women at the University for the feminist cause. The conference gave the students motivation to work together for their ultimate goal, Beam said.

"The five of us who went really bonded," she said. "It brought us closer and now we can act together to raise the consciousness at Penn State."