Ali P. Crown
We must hear the voices and have the dreams of those who came before us, and we must keep them with us in a very real sense. This will keep us centered. This will help us to maintain our understanding of the job we must do. –Sonia Sanchez
So much has happened since we first began
to plan this issue. Indeed the universe is now a different place. In the
wake of the World Trade Center tragedy, we seem to be finding ourselves
more tuned in to the pain and suffering of people around the world. Many
of the women I know, always in touch with goodness, possibility, and harsh
injustice, are trying to make sense out of the future of civilization.
They are asking why the warriors of the world are speaking so loudly,
while we can barely hear the voices of the nurturers.
The Women’s History Month Committee at Emory met just a week after September 11. Traditionally an uplifting meeting, this first gathering of the school year was solemn and filled with sadness. Reflecting on our place in the human chain, we wondered about the conditions that breed terrorism. We spoke of our sense of grief, horror, and powerlessness and the impact of our actions on other people of the world. And then we decided to turn the volume up on women’s voices this spring. The outcome is a series of programs in March focused on "Women Talking and Acting: Fierce, Fearless, and Wise." You’ll find them all on the special commemorative poster inside.
The academic year 2002-2003 is notably the
tenth anniversary of Emory Women’s Center. It seems fitting to begin
a year-long celebration of our accomplishments on this campus with the
March 2002 programs, which themselves mark a decade of celebrating Women’s
History Month at Emory. That which didn’t happen before the establishment
of the Women’s Center has grown over the years into our most ambitious
programming event. The vast numbers of people from across our campus who
participate in the March series gives testimony not only to our many alliances,
but also to the interdisciplinary nature and richness of our work.
It is worth noting here, too, that this is the nineteenth edition of our award-winning newsletter. I believe the stories you’ll find in this issue, like so many we’ve shared before, will engender simple truths about living with integrity, not just toward others, but toward ourselves as well. Now, more than ever, that is no small thing.