Spring 2009
AWS @CGU
Six Women of Color
Angela Hayden
What’s Inside...
Black Women & The
Radical Tradition
Applied Women’s Studies 2009
Letter from the Director
By Dr. Linda Perkins
Jena 6: Case Study in
The Applied Women’s Studies
Grassroots Struggle
Meet Our New AWS
Advisory Committee
Researching Dubai
Dr. Christiana
Thorpe Visits AWS
Global Women’s
Research Institute
New AWS Advisory
Committee
Members
An Interdisciplinary
Approach to
Increase IT Interest
1
Department continued its emphases
on global women’s issues this year
as well as its concentration on
activism in domestic women’s
issues. I attended the International
Interdisciplinary Women’s
Conference in Madrid, Spain in
July. Sex Trafficking was
highlighted as a major global issue
for women. Recent graduate, Abby
Dicarlo, worked with new AWS
Advisory Committee member
Professor Pardis Mahdavis from
Pomona College last summer in
Dubai for her internship
interviewing women involved in
various aspects of the sex trade.
Abby writes about her experience
in this issue. AWS student Gabriella
Tempestoso-Bednar interned with
AWS Advisory Committee member
and Dean of the School of Religion,
Professor Karen Torjesen in
preparation of the new the Global
Women’s Research Institute.
Gabrielle discusses her trip to Egypt
for the Institute’s conference on
Arab women in our newsletter. We
hosted Dr. Christiana Thorpe,
Commissioner of the National
Election of Sierra Leone and
champion of women and girls
education. These events on global
women’s issues were coupled with
our activities in domestic women’s
issues. Our department and
students continue our affiliation
with Women in Criminal Justice,
an organization that works on
behalf of incarcerated women. We
spent a day at the California
Institute for Women in November
to meet with incarcerated women
and to learn of their concerns and
issues. Two of our students
accompanied me to a Critical
Resistance conference in Oakland,
California. This organization is
specifically concerned with the
incarcerated and injustices within
the criminal justice system. Our
students have written the articles
for this issue. They provide the best
evidence of our mission to merge
theory with practice. In addition to
our strong academic offerings, our
students have the opportunity to
experience international as well as
local internships. In this issue, we
introduce three new Advisory
Committee members. They add
enormous experience and
important expertise and scholarship
to our program.
Edited by Rebecca M. Fernandez ’10
’10
AWS@CGU Spring2009
Black Women & The
Radical Tradition
Conference
and scholarship. Witnessing the activism of
the Black and feminist movement through
this remarkable scholarship inspired all those
that were in attendance.
By Marsha Horsley, AWS ’10
JENA 6: Case Study in
Grassroots Struggle
CUNY, New York City
On March 28, 2009 over 300 attendees
gathered at Brooklyn College in New York to
examine and explore the lives and work of
Black women within the radical tradition.
Professor Gerald C. Horne contended that
Black women and the radical tradition have
been interwoven across space and time to
expand our notion of freedom and
democracy. Professor Horne as the other
scholars, presenters and honorees, spoke of
Black women within the radical tradition as
critical in shaping Black women’s political,
social, and economic status around the
Diaspora, and beyond, in both the public and
private sphere.
At this conference leading scholars, social
activists and graduate students presented
papers that examined the leadership
contributions of Black women. Among the
speakers were Angela Davis, professor
Bettina Aptheker of UC Santa Cruz, and
Claremont Graduate University’s Dr. Linda
Perkins who chaired a panel on Welfare and
Household Labor: Radical Leadership .
This conference highlighted the ways in
which Black women have led the struggle
towards social transformation to the present
day struggle including citizenship,
gender equality, and political representation.
Throughout the day several salutes were
made to Dorothy Burnham, Louise
Patterson, and Vinnie Burrows for dedicating
their lives to the fight for social justice.
During a tribute to Mitchell, the first AfricanAmerican woman to run for president of the
United States in 1968, Angela Davis spoke of
the legacy of struggle as a legacy proudly
chosen by Black women aligning within the
radical tradition. Brooklyn College Graduate
Center for Worker Education presented a
transnational collective of Black women and
the radical tradition as grassroots activism
Critical Resistance 10
Oakland, C.A.
By Marsha Horsley, AWS ’10
The politically radical conference called
CR10 was attended by some 3,000 students,
educators, prison abolitionists, and others
from coast to coast to strategize and organize
around abolishing the prison industrial
complex (PIC). During the three day period,
the family members of the Jena Six, along
with Jesse Muhammad of the Final Call
Newspaper, spoke about the effectiveness of
grassroots media. The usage of modern
grassroots’ activism including the Internet,
underground media sources, and other
communication inspired the entire nation to
travel to Jena, Louisiana in support of the six
black male students that were being detained
and awaited criminal charges.
Tina Jones, the mother of Bryant Purvis,
who was then 17, has become a tireless
activist since Bryant was expelled from Jena
High School. Ms. Jones and other parents
spoke about coming together as a community
of Blacks in a mostly white community that
had been divided as far back as they could
remember. Jones helped in organizing a
local NAACP chapter in Jena, which she
credits in creating a network with local and
national media, which expedited her son’s
hearing and trial at the time.
Bryant Purvis, along with five other black
male students, originally faced charges of
attempted second-degree murder and
conspiracy to commit murder after school
officials alleged that the six boys attacked a
white classmate and beat him unconscious.
Purvis denied being involved.
It all started when the racially divided
campus lines were crossed when several black
students decided to sit under a tree where
white students normally gathered. The next
day, three nooses hung from the tree. Racial
tensions followed for the next three months,
culminating into a fight on school grounds on
Dec. 4, 2006.
The case study in grassroots struggles,
explored the intersectional ties of mainstream
and grassroots efforts. The Jena Six
movement was started from the ground up
motivating prominent figures such as radio
personality Michael Baiden and others to get
involved and urge for the nation to
participate in this movement. However,
Tina Jones and the other family members did
find some of the attention distracting as it
took away from the real issue: six black males
were imprisoned unjustly. They each spoke
about the behind the scenes tension that
caused some of them to be threatened in Jena
by other residents who were not prepared for
the massive movement to bring at least
20,000 people to Jena in rally and protest.
Nor did some of the prominent figures speak
to the families to inquire what they needed to
be supported in seeking justices for their sons.
The families spoke about the aftermath
of the movement extending beyond the
grassroots efforts that caused Jones to send
her son to live with his uncle, Dallas
Cowboys defensive lineman Jason Hatcher
in Dallas, Texas. Other family members
spoke about the continual struggle after the
cameras, lights, and busses have departed
Jena, leaving the Jena Six with dealing with
resentment.
Marsha Horsley
Making Global Links
Researching Sex Traffic in Dubai
By Abby DiCarlo, AWS ’09
Abby DiCarlo
2
I was able to travel to Dubai last summer, and
will be returning this summer, to conduct
ethnographic field research on sex trafficking in
Dubai. The AWS program prepared me for this
research through its intimate atmosphere of
mentoring and teaching. I gained a research
assistantship with Professor Pardis Mahdavi of
Pomona College during my first semester at
CGU.
In Dubai, I interviewed informants regarding
their experience living in Dubai, managing
sexual and health issues. I have been conducting
virtual ethnographic field research by analyzing
sex forums and blogs, as well as email
correspondence with clients of sex workers and
self-identified "sex tourists."
Understanding Women's Studies is crucial to
understanding the world today because it is
absolutely necessary to understand the ways in
which gender and sexuality are not only
politicized and publicized, but internalized, lived,
and felt throughout different cultures and
societies which are interconnected and
intertwined through sociality, economy, and
policy.
AWS@CGU Spring2009
Dr. Christiana Thorpe Visits AWS
President of the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission
By Molly Berger, AWS ’10
Dr. Chrsitiana Thorpe, current chief electoral
commissioner for the National Electorate
Commission of Sierra Leone, visited California
on Saturday, February 28, and met with a
variety of AWS ad CGU students, faculty and
other members of the greater academic
community.
While her visit was informal and brief, it was
awe-inspiring. Dr. Thorpe outlined her history
and experience as a nun, political activist ad
champion for women’s rights in Sierra Leone,
and worldwide. Among her many
accomplishments, Dr. Thorpe is a founding
member and former chief executive officer of the
Sierra Leone division of the Forum for African
Women Educationalists (FAWE-SL). During her
time with FAWE-SL, Dr. Thorpe helped provide
services for thousands of women and children
who have been impacted by civil war in Sierra
Leone lasting some 11 years.
Dr. Thorpe was mandated to start the Sierra
Leone branch of FAWE with the mission to
educate the women and girls who survived the
war, but were displaced, orphaned and/or
raped.
“I was always interested in women's and girls' education since
I was a child. I think God has been directing the path I would
follow. Wherever I have gone, [I've worked on] issues of
development, issues of handicapped people, especially that of
women and girls.”
-Dr. Christiana Thorpe
That through collective effort and education,
the women of Sierra Leone will help to establish
the war as a part of their past, and themselves
emerge as the new leaders of the nation, serves as
direct motivation to Dr. Thorpe.
As Commissioner, she has successfully
restructured the electoral procedure and
reorganized the voting process, which ensured a
smooth post-conflict election. She utilized her
connections with women’s and children’s groups
throughout Sierra Leone and rallied over 8,000
youth to help facilitate the election process as
voter educators and electoral monitors.
Through her work and dialogue it is clear
that Dr. Christiana Thorpe has an incredible
dedication to education and civic responsibility.
Her actions have directly affected thousands of
lives throughout Sierra Leone and Africa.
Dr. Christiana Thorpe
opens dialogue with AWS ad CGU
students, faculty and community
members.
Global Women’s Research Institute & Egypt
As part of her
internship this past
semester, graduating
AWS student Gabriella
Tempestoso-Bednar
had the opportunity
to work with Dean
Karen Jorgesen and
Gabriella
Ambassador Sallama
Tempestoso-Bednar
Shaker on a conference
titled “Arab Women Facing Challenges of
Globalization in the 21st Century,” held in
partnership with the Library of Alexadria,
Egypt. The participants and panelists were a
“who’s who” of women’s activists and
scholars throughout the Egyptian and Arab
world, with other international participants
from the US and Mexico. The conference
coincided with the launch of the Global
Women’s Research Institute (GWIR) which
Gabriella has also been heavily involved with.
The institute, housed at CGU, will be a
valuable contributor to Applied Women’s
Studies, Women’s Studies in Religion and
Intercollegiate Women’s Studies. The GWRI
3 is also fortunate to have forged partnerships
with American Univ. and Yale Uiv. To
further assist with its mission of working with
women’s activists globally. The vision is to
Support activist work on the ground, by
assisting with research, providing workshops,
interns and other necessary tools that grass
roots organizers can utilize to further their
goals. In this maner, GWRI will play a key
role in influencing policy and policy makers
at the interational levels of the UN, World
Bank and other organizations.
Tempestoso-Bednar presented two
papers: The Role of Gender in Post
Conflict Restructuring: The Dilemma
of the New World Order, & Do
Structural Adjustmet Programs
Disadvatage Women?: A
Comparative Analysis of SAPs
In Africa.
AWS gathers after Thorpe’s
discussion.
Left to Right:
Christina Lam, Lillian Pittman,
Rebecca M. Fernandez,
Dr. Linda Perkins, Loraine LaPrade.
AWS@CGU Spring2009
New AWS Advisory
Committee Members
The AWS Advisory Committee offers
assistance to students through advisement,
internship placement, and events.
Dr. Margaret Grogan…
is currently Professor
of Educational
Leadership & Policy,
and is Dean of the
School of
Educational Studies.
She earned her B.A.
in Ancient History &
Japanese from the
Univ. of Queensland
and her M.A. in
Curriculum &
Instruction from
Dr. Margaret Grogan
Michigan State
Univ., after which, she went on to earn her
PhD in Educational Administration from
Washington State Univ. In 1997, Dr.
Grogan received the Willower Award of
Excellence to honor scholarship in the field
of leadership and ethics in education. In
2005, she was recognized by AASA for 10
years research on women in educational
leadership, and was highlighted in the 2006
‘Who’s Who Among American Teachers.’
Dr. Grogan’s current research focuses on
women in leadership, the superintendancy,
the moral ad ethical dimensions of
leadership, and leadership for social justice.
Dr. Pardis Mahdavi…
Sara Smith Orr…
is the owner of a management and
planning consulting firm, Smith Orr &
Associates, specializing in the
social/nonprofit sector. She is an adjunct
professor at the Peter F. Drucker and
Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of
Management at CGU, teaching leadership
and governance in the nonprofit sector.
She is also serving as the interim Executive
Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute
based at Claremont McKenna. She has
been involved in the founding of
Leadership California, a statewide
educational program for women leaders in
California, Leadership Berks County and
Leadership Pasadena. She currently serves
on the board of the National Women’s Hall
of Fame, and as a founding member of the
National Advisory Forum for The
Women’s Museum, An Institute for the
Future located in Dallas Texas. Sara holds
an Executive MBA from CGU and is
currently completing her PhD in Education
at CGU. Her dissertation research topic is
Older Women: Living Lives of Wisdom,
Meaning and Contribution.
has joined Pomona College as Assistant
Professor of anthropology after pursuing
her doctorate at Columbia University in the
departments of Sociomedical Sciences and
Anthropology. Her research interests
include sexuality, human rights,
transnational feminism and public health in
the context of changing global and political
structures. Her dissertation project is now
being published as a
book entitled
“Passionate
Uprisings: Iran’s
Sexual Revolution”
with Stanford Press.
Dr Pardis Mahdavi
teaches courses on
Medical
Anthropology,
Sociocultural
Anthropology,
Dr. Pardis Mahdavi
Ethnographic
Methods and has designed a new course
entitled “Sexual Politics of the Middle
East”. Pardis has received outstanding
research awards from the American Public
Health Association, the Society for Medical
Anthropology and the Society for Applied
Anthropology.
Susan Smith Orr
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Increase IT Interest w/ Dr. Gondy Leroy
4
AWS Advisory Committee member
Dr. Gondy Leroy (CGU, SISAT) together
with Dr. Brian Hilton (CGU, SISAT) and
Dr. June Hilton (Claremont High School)
won a NCWIT Seed Fund Award of $15,000
for their project “An Interdisciplinary
Approach to Increase Interest in Information
Technology through an Environmental
Project.” This project is designed to engage
students, especially female and
underrepresented groups, through
teamwork, problem-based learning, and a
socially relevant topic to cultivate an interest
in IT.
The number of female high school
students showing an interest in computer
science is alarmingly low. In contrast, a
majority of female students are interested in
environmental science. The goal of the
project is to improve the interest of both
middle and high school students in
Information Technology (IT) by cultivating
this existing environmental interest and
aligning it with IT solutions. Students at
Claremont High School and El Roble
Intermediate School together with their
teachers and CGU students will conduct an
Urban Ecosystem Analysis (UEA) of their
campus. An UEA analyzes tree distributions
in urban areas using a combination of spatial
data along with GIS technology. In addition
to receiving training in GIS software,
students experience first-hand the connection
between IT and environmental science
The two-semester project will have a direct
impact on 40 students at Claremont High
School and 30 students at El Roble
Intermediate School. They will increase their
academic knowledge of IT and, hopefully,
also spark their interest in IT. Toward the
end, students and teachers will be
interviewed to evaluate program effectiveness
and identify best practices for
implementation in future projects.
Students at CGU interested in participating
should contact Dr. Gondy Leroy
(gondy.leroy@cgu.edu).
Edited by Rebecca M. Fernandez ’10