Phi Alpha Theta and the UTM History department are celebrating Women’s History Month during March.
On Thursday, March 21, Phi Alpha Theta hosted the second event in their Women’s History Film Festival.
To begin the evening, a portion from “Mozambique or Bust” was shown, a documentary put together by CNN about an organization which was started to deliver bras to Mozambique. The bras are then sold at market and the proceeds are used to help former slaves. The video was shown to inform students what the program is because Phi Alpha Theta will be collecting bras through April to send in support of this program.
Following this short video, the main documentary was shown, the first part of a three-part PBS documentary “MAKERS: Women Who Make America.” The episode “Awakening” followed the lives of several key women over the years, women that wanted a change in their own lives, which eventually led to the Women’s Liberation Movement.
The documentary detailed the movements such as the formation of Ms. Magazine, National Organization for Women and several others that are still around today.
For almost all of the students in attendance, the information in the documentary was shocking and new. Many simply did not realize the trials women in the 1960s had to go through.
“I didn’t realize all that stuff had happened, I think we take all of it for granted,” said Breann Davis, a senior Microbiology major who attended the event.
Following the main video, Dr. Donna Cooper Graves and Dr. Renee LaFleur led a group discussion. They asked several questions which prompted responses from the attendees.
“Do you think Women’s Liberation is over?” asked LaFleur.
The students appeared to agree the movement is not over. Several students agreed that although women are allowed to attain any job they choose, there is still some bias.
“I believe women are paid $.77 to every $1.00 a man receives,” LaFleur said.
The last film of the Women’s History Film Festival will be held Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. in Brehm Hall room 258. During the last session, the documentary “Pork Chop Day” will be shown and Joy Rogers will be giving a presentation on domestic violence.
