Schedule
Sisters of the African Diaspora Unite

Conference Schedule

3-7pm -check-in and registration (Thomas, Kern or Deike)

7:30-8 -welcoming reception (Thomas, Kern or Deike)

8-12am - movie and discussion (Thomas or West Halls Lounge)

Workshop Descriptions and Facilitator Biographies

9:00 to 9:50AM

Black Women and HIV: The Apex and the Intersection of Health and Human Rights

Facilitator Bio:
Dazon Dixon Diallo is an outspoken educator and advocate for the advancement of women’s health and women’s status in the U.S. and around the world. She is the Founder and President of SisterLove, Incorporated, the first and largest Women’s AIDS organization in the Southeast. She is also the National Program Director for the Center for Human Rights Education, specializing in women’s rights as human rights. An accomplished speaker, Dixon Diallo expertly intersects social justice issues such as women’s health, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, poverty and human rights. She has received numerous awards including the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Community Service Award

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the Black Community

This workshop will break the silence about domestic violence in the African American community and provide resources and strategies for handling violent domestic situations, including warning signs signaled by potential abusers. Anything discussed within the workshop is completely confidential and will not be reported or discussed outside of the workshop.

Facilitator Bio:
Ange-Marie Hancock’s academic interests include American Politics, Africana Studies/Women’s Studies, and Political Theory. After earning her B.A. in political science as a university scholar at New York University and prior to her M.A. / PhD. studies in political science at the University of North Carolina, Hancock wrote the original proposal for the National Basketball Association’s WNBA. In addition, Hancock was an award-winning faculty member and teacher at the University of San Francisco before coming to Penn State. Her latest book, The Public Identity of the “Welfare Queen” and the Politics of Disgust is under contract with NYU Press for a 2004 release date. She also dances with State College’s Fraser Street Dancers and is trained in Afro-Brazilian, Modern, West African and Jazz Dance.

10:00 to 10:50

Visual Culture and the Representation of the Black Female

A BIG behind with little to no mind. Is that what the black female is or has become? The world we live in is filled with visual images. Throughout history, debates about representation have considered whether systems of representation reflect the world as it is or whether it in fact constructs the world and its meaning through the systems of representation. This workshop will examine how the black female has been represented in popular culture and visual culture, discuss some of the effects of gender construction on African American women, and consider some responses to counter harmful gender and racial characterizations. &n! bsp;

Facilitator Bio:
Wanda B. Knight, Ph.D is an Assistant Professor of Art Education. Dr. Knight has taught art at the university level and all grades across the K-12 spectrum, overseas, and in vastly different regions of the United States, and in communities serving rural, suburban, and urban populations. She has also served as a public school principal in a variety of educational settings.
Dr. Knight's research focus includes issues impacting teaching and learning in today's schools and classrooms, particularly, issues of diversity and their implications for art teacher preparation. Additionally, her research explores urban education, multicultural education, preservice teacher education, and! art teacher preparation program evaluation related to preparing art teachers for the realities and complexities of classrooms and schools serving diverse populations.

If These Lips Could Talk .... And When They Finally Do...!

A creatively hip response to the impact of commercialization, capitalism and other global "isms" on Hip Hop culture from the perspective of the female body....... Workshop will include viewing of the short independent documentary "Stolen Moments" and informal exercise using Hip Hop and the art of rhyming. All MC's aspiring, MC's, fans etc. - bring a pen....and some creativity! All are welcomed and encouraged to attend!!!

Facilitator bio:
QueenGodIs is a multi-talented performance artist who fuses elements of Hip Hop, music, dance, theater and poetry with a dynamic combination of humor and socio-political commentary. While performing is a great love of hers, her mission is solely to serve as a source of truth, healing and inspiration. She often shares her time and creative gifts by working with various community upliftment projects, mentoring youth and speaking at college campuses and conferences across the country. First and foremost however, she prizes herself on her decision to use her gifts and her voice as tools for self -healing, reflection and personal growth.

Black Feminism 101

This workshop will provide an overview of what Black Feminism is, distinguishing it from what it is NOT. It is NOT dividing the race, choosing to ally with white women over Black men, or other common misperceptions. The workshop will focus on grounding Black feminism as synonymous with Alice Walker’s term womanism, and focus on the varied lived experiences of Black women.

Facilitator Bio:
Ange-Marie Hancock’s academic interests include American Politics, Africana Studies/Women’s Studies, and Political Theory. After earning her B.A. in political science as a university scholar at New York University and prior to her M.A. / PhD. studies in political science at the University of North Carolina, Hancock wrote the original proposal for the National Basketball Association’s WNBA. In addition, Hancock was an award-winning faculty member and teacher at the University of San Francisco before coming to Penn State. Her latest book, The Public Identity of the “Welfare Queen” and the Politics of Disgust is under contract with NYU Press for a 2004 release date. She also dances with State College’s Fraser Street Dancers and is trained in Afro-Brazilian, Modern, West African and Jazz Dance.

12:40 to 1:30PM

The Strong Black Women is Dying

This workshop will use the popular Black feminist internet essay “The Strong Black Woman is Dead” to highlight the causes of Black female physical and emotional illness. In addition, statistics on the current state of Black female health will be provided to demonstrate that the strong Black woman is truly dying. We will pour libations to honor the women in our lives who have fallen to physical and emotional illness and we will participate in a group activity to start us on our own personal journeys to physical and emotional well-being.

Facilitator Bio:
Beverly D. Pittman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at The Pennsylvania State University. Her primary research interest is in socio-cultural factors in health-related physical activity participation. Before joining the faculty at Penn State, she taught at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ. Her teaching responsibilities have included History and Philosophy of African Movement, History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Education, Movement Bioscience, Introduction to Exercise and Movement Sciences, Fitness for Life, Aerobics, Weight Training, and Strength Conditioning. In addition to her academic responsibilities she is a! member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Task Force on African Americans and Physical Activity.
Dr. Pittman received her doctorate in Kinesiology from Temple University where she was the first recipient of the Carole A. Oglesby Endowed Scholarship for her research on African American women and physical activity. Prior to pursuing her doctoral education, Dr. Pittman worked as a child welfare social worker in the public sector and as a health care professional in the corporate sector. Since 1988, she has also been an organizational consultant on health, fitness, and diversity issues.
Dr. Pittman graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian from Lincoln University (PA) with a BA in Sociology, and then received an MSS in Social Policy from the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, and an MBA in Management and Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. At Wharton she was the first recipient of the Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship for her scholarship and service to the African-American community.
Dr. Pittman has been a lifelong participant in physical activity. Her participation has included jogging, cheerleading, tap dancing, aerobic dancing, weight training, skiing, and in-line skating. In addition to her interests in physical activity, she enjoys reading, writing, music and theater.

Engendering Black Liberation

Sexism has been one of the largest stumbling blocks of black liberation organizations. This workshop will address the impact of sexism on past and present movements for black liberation in the USA. This workshop invites participants to learn about the past and imagine a future where gender issues are central to all discussions about strategies for social change.
Questions to be discussed: * What is the relationship between women's liberation and black liberation? * How can we critique the gender biases of ideologies of liberation like--Nationalism, Socialism, Afrocentrism etc? * How did gender inequality impact on the Civil Rights and Black Power movements? * What strategies have feminist men and women used to address gender inequality in social movements of the past and present? *Where do we go from here? What are some Feminist Models of Community Empowerment and Social Change?
Useful Background Information/Preview of Workshop Handout: http://www.tolerance.org/teach/printar.jsp?p=0&ar=159&pi=apg

Facilitator Bio:
Robyn Ceanne Spencer, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies and History at Pennsylvania State University, received her PhD in History from Columbia University in 2001. Her research specializations are African American Social Protest Movements, South African History and African American Women. She has received several grants and fellowships for her work, most recently being awarded an Africana Faculty Fellowship to attend a Summer Institute on “Critical Theory, Black Womyn’s Scholarship and Africana Studies” sponsored by Cornell University’s Africana Studies and Research Center. Dr. Spencer is currently revising a book manuscript entitled, Repression Breeds Resistance: The Rise and Fall of the Black Panther Party in Oakland,California 1966-1982,for publication. Her future research will explore how participation in the anti-war movement forged an anti-imper! ialist consciousness amongst working class blacks. In many ways, it continues her emphasis on exploring overlapping and intersecting boundaries between social protest movements.

Black Lesbianism, Bisexuality and Homophobia

The workshop is focused on discussing the topic of meshing multiple identities and the obstacles in the way of successfully owning more than one identity. We will share our personal stories about being in the gay community as women of color, being gay in the black community, and being women in the gay community. There will also be a question and answer period to spark dialogue on these topics.

Facilitator Bios:
Kamilah Cole is a sophomore in Crime, Law, and Justice and Womens Studies. She is currently Political Co-Director of the Lambda Student Alliance and Co-Chair of the Student Mobilization Project. She is also a Senator in Penn State's Undergraduate Student Government.

Amy Stipe is a senior studying African and African American Studies. She is involved in Black Caucus, Lambda Student Alliance, Undergraduate Student Government. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D in African American Studies. She hopes to eventually open shelter for homeless and runaway LGBT youth.

1:40 to 2:30PM

Women and the Prison Industrial Complex

The workshop examines the growth of the U.S. prison industry from 1865 when the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery for all except those convicted of a crime. Thus, the two million persons currently incarcerated in the United States are, constitutionally, slaves. The racialized beginnings of this system help to explain why in 2003 the U.S. is "The Great Incarcerator", leading the world in the rates of incarceration of its citizens. The workshop will examine the racial and economic realities of the PIC with emphasis on the state of New York. The prison system was built for men: men as keepers of other men. Thus, the issues for women prisoners have always been problematic. The numbers of women prisoners, while statistically low, indicate a substantial impact on communities resulting from the sexual, reproductive, and parenting issues confronting women pris! oners. The narratives of some women prisoners will be presented. A special presentation on prison issues will be given by a woman ex-prisoner.

Facilitator Bio:
Safiya Bandele is Director of the Medgar Evers College Center for Women's Development, a campus-based councelling and programming unit serving women and families on campus and in the community. As center Director, she is responsible for supervision of councelors, advocates and staff of specialized projects addressing women's issues such as alcohol education and prevention, and parental involvement projects in selected community school districts. Her work also includes conducting empowerment workshops and rites of passage programs for female adolecscents.
Safiya Bandele also teaches English and Women's Studies in the college's Department of Literature, Languages, Communications and Philosophy and serves as Faculty Advisor to student organizations. Professor Bandele lectures widely on issues affecting women and families, particularly African diaspora families, and has presented and keynoted at countless conferences in New York and the country, incuding Bennett College, Ohio State University, Columbia University, State University of New York, Spelman College, Hampshire College and Swarthmore College.
For her community work, Professor Bandele has receivied numerous awards, including the New York City Ellen Lurie Award from the Community of Service Society, The Malcom X Award from the East Organization, Outstanding Service Award from the Black Veterans for Social Justice, Outstanding Women's Leadership Award from State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Community Service Award from the Haitian Health Center, and the Presential Award from Medgar Evers College. Safiya Bandele is proud to be a mother, grandmother and fiancee of political prisioner Ibn Kenyatta.

Women and Religion

The legacy of our foremothers reminds us that “we've come this far by faith.” Armed with the will to survive and the vision to transform the world, Black women have used their religious faith as a platform from which to “cry aloud and spare not” against injustice throughout the world. Yet, even while we honor and celebrate the religious traditions of our foremothers, we also need to recognize when we need to challenge these traditions in order to better reflect who we are and what we stand for. Participants in the Women and Religion workshop will explore and discuss the ways in which our religious communities have fostered both liberating and oppressive experiences for women. The workshop will begin with a brief presentation by Ms. Adams, followed by small group discussions in which participants testify and bear witness to such questions as:

·Is there a difference between spirituality and religion?
·How does our spirituality function as a source of identity formation?
·In what ways can women heal, strengthen, and transform themselves and their communities through faith-based activism?
·How can we shatter the stained glass ceilings that hinder us from fully expressing our spirituality?

The Women and Religion workshop is a meeting ground where women from a variety of faiths, backgrounds, and walks of life can gather collaboratively for fruitful and necessary discussions on women’s experiences in their religious communities.

Facilitator Bio:
Aesha Adams is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English. Her research interests center on the language practices of Black women preachers. Ms. Adams’ experiences as a lay preacher has informed her scholarly endeavors and she is committed to discovering ways to empower women to heal and strengthen themselves and their communities.

Vision: Recognizing Gender Oppression in the World

The purpose of this workshop will be to define and discuss sexism and identify the blatant and subtle ways that sexism manifests itself in the daily lives of Black women. Participants in this dialogue-centered workshop will also attempt to formulate practical strategies for confronting everyday sexism in its individual, institutional, and societal forms. Hopefully, participants in the workshop will leave the experience with a better understanding of sexism, be more equipped to identify sexism when it occurs, and be armed with practical strategies for confronting sexism in society.

Facilitator Bio:
John Johnson graduated from Penn State in 2001 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Women's Studies. He is currently attending Ball State University in Indiana and is just a few weeks away from obtaining his Master's degree in Educational Psychology. A native of Philadelphia, John has defiantly challenged gender norms by embracing both the ideology and label of 'feminist.' Committed to improving social conditions for Black women, John authored a book that challenged the romantic choices and behavior of certain Black men. "It Ain't All Good," was recently picked up by a major publishing compan! y and is scheduled for release in the spring of 2004.

2:40-3:30 - workshop cluster D (HUB Room)

3:45-5:15 - panel discussion (Heritage Hall)

5:15-5:30 - massive meditation and break (Heritage Hall)

7:00-9:00 - communal dinner (Heritage Hall)

9:00-2am -professional performances and open mic (Heritage Hall)

10-11am -closing mobilizing/planning workshop (HUB Room)

11-12pm -closing and acknowledgements (Heritage Hall)