Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC’s Women’s History Month attracts diverse presenters

Photos and story by James Hill

March is Women’s History Month and PCC celebrated it in style. Campuses all over the district had events for students, staff and the public to enjoy and celebrate the month.

In recognition of International Women’s Day, Sylvania’s Multicultural Center and Women’s Resource Center presented Laila Huneidi, a Portland State University Ph.D. candidate of urban studies. She discussed, “Modernization and Its Effect on Arab Muslim Women.” Huneidi is a Palestinian woman who currently lectures in International and Women’s Studies at PSU.

“The modes of life brought into being by modernity have swept us away from all traditional types of social order,” she said. “Modernity produces continuous changes. However, the continuities between the traditional and the modern remain vivid, particularly in developing countries, including Arab countries. The emancipation of Arab women still has a long way to go; yet last decade’s progress is evidence of a greater receptivity to Arab women empowerment at the executive levels of governments and state institutions.”

Also at Sylvania, Roslyn Farrington spoke about “Visionary Feminism – Our Hope for the Future” and connected how feminism is for everybody. Farrington is a professor of women’s studies at Portland State University, a former director of the Oregon Commission for Women, and founder of All About Community.

There was a teen parent’s day with students from Merlo Station High School, Chemawa Indian School, Portland Public High Schools and Insights Teen Parents Program. The day long program included a tour of the Sylvania Campus, a special performance by the Illumination Project and speakers and panel presentations on succeeding in school. The Sylvania Women’s Resource Center hosted a series of feminist films including “Born into Brothels,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Iron Jawed Angels,” “Monster” and “North Country.”

At other campuses, events included a special talk at the Cascade Campus byDamali Ayo, who discussed her new book, “How to Rent a Negro.” The book is a satirical look at race relations that re-frames actual stories from the author’s experiences.

At Rock Creek, Jean D’Arc Kakusu Campbell, spoke about his book, “Witness to Genocide.” Originally from the Congo, Jean d’Arc found himself working in Rwanda in 1993 for the International Committee of the Red Cross. He witnessed the genocide that took place in Rwanda between 1993 and 1994 and spent time in the Hotel Rwanda – the 4 star hotel that was depicted in the recent motion picture.