Tags: equality

On “Freedom’s Eve,” or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto…

Title IX was part of the federal civil rights law in the United States of America that was passed on June 23, 1972 as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government. The purpose of the Title IX of the Amendments was to update Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned several forms of…

When she earned her doctorate in mathematics from the University of Georgia in 1966, just five years after the university was desegregated, Shirley Mathis McBay was already on her way to becoming one of our most important Georgia Groundbreakers: It’s been over 30 years since Shirley Mathis McBay first went to Capitol Hill with an urgent message. She implored members of Congress to take action to increase the numbers of minorities…

On August 18, 1920, the United States ratified the #19thAmendment guaranteeing all American women the right to vote. We celebrate the suffragists who bravely fought the fight for equality, as well as the many women leading our country today. Our most important right and duty as citizens depends on full participation. This historic centennial offers an unparalleled opportunity to commemorate a milestone of democracy and to explore its…

One of the greatest Americans of his or any other time, U.S. Congressman John Lewis passed away at the age of 80. Lewis represented Georgia's 5th congressional district since 1987 and has positively impacted American life in countless ways. We are indebted for his selfless acts of courage, perseverance and generosity in service of fulfilling our nation's highest ideals. Lewis presented the 2011 Mary Frances Early Lecture at UGA.…

The Institute for Women’s Studies leads UGA recognition of the 2020 national Women’s History Month under the theme “Valiant Women of the Vote,” hosting numerous programs in March that honor the centennial of the 19th Amendment: This year’s Women’s History Month keynote address will be presented by Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon…

Also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, the holiday commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the state of Texas, and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former confederacy. Though President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an…

Five years ago, Cecilia Sánchez and Anya Brown, ecology doctoral candidates at the time, founded the Women in Science in service of creating a community where they could connect with peers and mentors. Open to anyone (including men) interested in pursuing equality and diversity in science, WiSci has grown to incorporate undergraduate students and an outreach program as well as all STEM disciplines: The organization hosts several events…

The University of Georgia is celebrating a century of coeducation this year and especially this fall, led by commemorations in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. In 1918, 12 women enrolled at UGA, all in the home economics program, which later became the College of FACS. The entire story of what came before is extraordinary and compelling, meaningful to everyone at UGA today - students, faculty and staff. This week on the…

The new issue of Research Magazine, full of great stories about Franklin College faculty, features a refreshed story we have highlighted in the past: archeologist Suzanne Pilaar Birch on the intersection of pregancy and fieldwork In March 2017, Suzanne Pilaar Birch turned to Twitter for help. The archaeologist and UGA assistant professor was considering an invitation to go on a dig in Cyprus, an offer that seemed irresistible—except that…

A roundtable panel on “Women, Hollywood and the #METOO Era” will be held Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. in the Balcony Theatre (Room 400) of the Fine Arts Building. UGA faculty members will assess ongoing hurdles and notable triumphs for women in American filmmaking today: The panel will include Antje Ascheid, associate professor of film studies; Maryann Erigha, assistant professor of sociology; Kate Fortmueller, assistant professor of…

Observances of the holiday commemorating the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday January 15 take on a sepcial significance in 2018, which will be 50th anniversary of his assassination in April, 1968. This important day of service across the United States to celebrate nonviolent activism in support of civil rights and the Civil Rights Movement is one of reflection, engagement, assessment and action in the name of a great American…

Plenty of commemorations for the fifty-year anniversary today of the arrival of Vince Dooley to campus, and deservedly so. Coach Dooley has a tremendous legacy at the university, and continues to have great impact on UGA and the Franklin College through his philanthropic beneficence to the department of history, the Redcoat Marching Band and other units. Five decades is obviously a long time, easy to remember as a conceptual frame - truly a…