Seeking to inspire young female activists with the same passion that fires themselves, seven Durham-area women shared their personal histories in a panel discussion on women's activism Tuesday at the Sanford Institute of Public Policy.
The discussion, organized by senior Emily Steiger, arose out of a project from her women's leadership class to improve something that is meaningful to her.
"I want to provide a space for these women activists to provide a bit of inspiration to the activists in yourselves," Steiger told the crowd of about 50 people.
During the forum, the panelists relayed their personal experiences and fielded questions from both Steiger and audience members.
The panelists included Visiting Associate Professor of African and African American Studies Dr. Becky Thompson, who recently started a controversy by inviting Laura Whitehorn, convicted of bombing the U.S. Capitol in 1983, to speak at Duke. "White women need to listen to the anger of women of color," Thompson said.
Catherine Admay, affiliate faculty of the Duke Center for International Development at Sanford and a visiting professor of political science, also spoke. Admay credited her divided life as a teacher, scholar and lawyer as inciting her activism.
"Thinking and acting... is what moves me," Admay said, suggesting that budding activists do what has worked for her-look for silences and things that are not being said.
Mandy Carter, development coordinator of Southerners On New Ground, a Durham-based group, spoke about passions and the power of one.
"Any social movement has been to me about changing hearts and minds," Carter said. She said her heart changed early on in her life upon witnessing the lives of Quakers, when she began to see the power the individual possesses.
"When you add that one person, one person, one person... all of us has the power to change," Carter added.
Elizabeth Kiss, founding director of the Kenan Institute for Ethics and associate professor of the practice of political science and philosophy, discussed her unusual approach to activism.
"At my best, I am a bridge builder," Kiss said, adding that being a mediatrix is an important form of activism, whether working with Duke and its community or--as she once did--bringing together Southern Baptists and homosexual activists.
Theresa El Amin, the founder of the Southern Anti-Racism Network, Cheryl Ann Walsh, a member of the Human Rights Campaign's Board of Governors, and Hua Wang, a senior at Duke, also participated on the panel.
"There were great speakers, and tons of people," Steiger said. "I wanted to increase the visibility of these women, to give them a place to share their experiences."
Although she said the panel exceeded her personal expectations, Steiger said it was ultimately up to the individual to connect with the panelists.
In her concluding remarks, Admay suggested something audience members and all students could do right now to begin to connect and develop themselves as social activists: "Read the State of the Union, find something that appalls you and respond to it."
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