'Hood Feminism' Author Mikki Kendall to Speak at Governors State University on March 3 for Women’s History Month
Kendall is the second speaker in a three-part DEI Distinguished Speaker series
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(University Park, Ill.) – New York Times best-selling author, activist and cultural critic Mikki Kendall will explore issues of race and feminism with Governors State University students, faculty, staff and the external campus community on March 3, 2022 for Women’s History Month as part of a distinguished speaker series to advance the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals.
In her best-seller, “Hood Feminism,” Kendall poses questions of how inclusive the feminist movement is around race and class, saying hood feminism is less about becoming a woman achieving lofty goals like becoming a corporate CEO and more about the maintaining basic needs like food and shelter.
In a 2020 interview with Trevor Noah of the “Daily Show,” Kendall said, “If we’re going to do feminism for all women, we have to make sure the poorest women have everything they need to survive, you can’t fight for your rights if you can barely stay alive.’’
Kendall, a Chicago native, U.S. Army veteran and U of I graduate, exploded into the national narrative in 2013 when she created the hashtag #Solidarityisforwhitewomen and today enjoys an international platform includes more than 164,000 Twitter followers. She has appeared on the BBC, NPR, the “Daily Show,” PBS, “Good Morning America,” MSNBC, “Al Jazeera,” WBEZ, and Showtime, and discusses race, feminism, police violence, tech, and pop culture at colleges and universities across the country. Kendall is also the author of “Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists,” a graphic novel.
At GSU, Kendall will explore issues of gender, equality and inclusivity in a celebration of Women’s History Month and how they relate to the core principles of DEI, which the university has set as a top priority to increase a sense of belonging for faculty, staff, and students on campus.
Kendall said Governors State University is an ideal place to discuss gender equity and inclusion issues because of its traditional commitment to foster inclusive excellence for historically marginalized groups.
Further, conversations that start on campus usually inform decisions made in the corporate world regarding issues such as gender and pay equity, rape culture and other difficult topics.
“It starts in college with the choices you are making there,’’ said Kendall.
Her presentation is the second in a series which began in January 2022 with Dr. Damon A. Williams’ all-day Inclusive Excellence Residency for faculty, staff and students on campus. Williams coauthored the first DEI book on the role of the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO): “The Chief Diversity Officer: Strategy, Structure, and Change Management." He is also the best-selling author of “Strategic Diversity Leadership: Activating Change and Transformation in Higher Education."
Governors State’s CDO Carl Hampton moderated Williams’ daylong conference in his first major DEI event since the CDO position was established at GSU in 2020 shortly after Dr. Cheryl Green assumed the presidency.
Creating the CDO office was one of three inroads she created to ensure a more inclusive campus. The other two were establishing GSU’s Social Justice Initiative and hiring a director, and reestablishing the former Campus Inclusion Team as the DEI Council.
The Kendall event will begin with a 9 a.m. breakfast, followed by Kendall’s keynote at 10 a.m. Hampton will moderate an audience Q & A with Kendall at 11 a.m. followed by lunch.
In-person attendance will be limited; however, the session will be available virtually, as well. RSVP here to attend in person or virtually (see link below).
Register here.
Click here to join virtually.
Contact: Zion Banks
email: zbanks@govst.edu
phone: 630-842-6427