As a part of Women’s History Month, Kean organizations hosted an event celebrating the diverse achievements of women who made changes in New Jersey. Collaboratively, the hosts shed light on many important female figures and spoke about their achievements, while educating Kean students about the resources available to them on campus.
This event was hosted by many important entities here at Kean. The hosts of this event included the following:
- Nancy Thompson Library Learning Commons
- Human Rights Institute
- Kean Galleries
- Holocaust Resource Center
- Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
This conference was held on Monday, March 15, and contained an hour’s worth of useful information on women and Kean resources. In this zoom conducted lecture, a representative from each group spoke about an influential woman, her accomplishments and how Kean University can give the audience more information about their specific role model.
The first influential figure was Clara Schwarz Kramer, a Holocaust survivor and leader in Holocaust education. Spencer Martin, Collections Coordinator for Holocaust Resource Center (HRC), spoke of how Kramer was a founding member of the HRC and her dedication to teaching others about the Holocaust. Kramer also published a book in 2009 about her experience of spending 20 months hiding in a bunker. Martin also mentioned having over 200 survivor accounts available for students and faculty to see. If students wish to learn more about Kramer and other survivors, they can contact them at hrc@kean.edu.
The next female figure was Amanda Yoakum, a New Jersey artist who uses her work to explore different themes such as gender, sexual harassment and identity. Cristina Fittipaldi, program manager at Kean Galleries, spoke of how Yoakum pairs two-dimensional paintings with three dimensional designs of brand sneakers. Fittipaldi also mentioned her upcoming event Finding Your Renovation at the Kean Gallery. The viewing will take place between April 26 and June 18, so if anyone is interested, they can email fittipac@kean.edu to learn more about Yoakum and her work.
Erin Alghandoor, head archivist for Liberty Hall, spoke of Florence P. Dwyer, the first Republican woman elected to the House of Representatives from New Jersey. Alghandoor mentions that they have over 400 linear feet of Dwyer’s congressional papers and that they are available for students to view if they come in to visit. For more information about what Liberty Hall has to offer, they can be contacted at LHAC@kean.edu.
The last woman to be mentioned was Antoinette Brown Blackwell, the first woman to become a Protestant minister in the United States. Chrisler Pitts, librarian at Nancy Thompson Learning Commons (NTLC), told viewers about Blackwell being a founder of New Jersey Women’s Suffrage Association and how she played an important role in establishing the All Souls Unitarian Church in Elizabeth, NJ. Chrisler also gave a demonstration on how to use the learning commons database to find more information on Blackwell and the other women included in the presentation.
The event was extremely helpful in supplying students with knowledge on women in New Jersey and educating them on Kean's available resources. To learn more about the organizations involved and to know about upcoming events, students can look at the groups' Cougar Link page.
