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Anita Hill 20 Years Later | C-SPAN

Anita Hill testifying 20 years ago - Clarence Thomas Senate hearing 

Anita Hill put her personal and professional life on the line when she testified about Clarence Thomas's sexual harassment. It was a turning point for women. No longer do we consider sexual harassment of anyone business as usual.

This weekend hundreds of people gathered at Hunter College to reflect on what has happened, what we've learned, and the work that remains. The conversation was fast moving and the questions from the audience provoked differences in opinion as well as insight into the intersections of race, gender, power, and politics.

You can watch the video of the panels at Sex, Power and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill 20 Years Later conference here: Anita Hill Speaks 20 Years Later | C-SPAN

Speakers included Anita Hill, people involved in the hearing, like Catharine MacKinnon and Judith Resnik, scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw, and current day activists like AAUW fellow Ai-Jen Poo, Jamia Wilson, and Emily May from Hollaback to name just a few.  This was a terrific conference, well worth carving out some time to watch.

Some of our members were fortunate to be there. Whether you were there in person, watched the live stream, of watch the video, please add your impressions of the day or thoughts on sexual harassment in the comments.

Hear the Candidates for Kingston Mayor and Ulster Cty DA, 10/29

Kingston City and Ulster County Candidate Forum
Sponsored by the AAUW Kingston Branch and the League of Women Voters
Saturday, October 29

Kingston City Hall
420 Broadway

10 AM    to 11:15 AM    Candidates for mayor of Kingston
11:15 AM to 11:30 AM    Break
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM    Candidates for Ulster County District Attorney

Each candidate is allowed two-minute opening and closing statements.
Index cards will be distributed to the audience to write questions on.
The cards will be collected and read to the candidates by the moderator
for one-minute responses.

Fracking in Saugerties, Hot Coffee in Kingston

October Public Policy Events

Please note these schedule and meeting changes for this month:

1. Hydrofracking Educational Event

This event will take place in Saugerties on 10/4, rather than at the 10/22 branch meeting:

Tuesday, October 4, 7 PM
Atonement Lutheran Church
100 Market Street
Saugerties


Agenda:
- Showing of GASLAND, the 2010 Academy-Award-nominated documentary about Pennsylvania resident Josh Fox's cross-country quest to find out the truth about living with gas wells
- Question and answer session with Kate Hudson, Attorney, Riverkeeper Watershed Program
- "Who Can We Trust?" with Joan Walker of Frack Free Catskills

All are welcome!
Why attend? Can you drink gas? Next question!...
For more information, call 845-246-8322

2. October Branch Meeting

Saturday, October 22, 10:30 AM
Kingston Library
Community Room, 2nd Floor
55 Franklin Street
Kingston

This month, while we (safely!) sip our hot coffee and munch on the delicious breakfast goodies provided by our (always!) "absolutely fabulous" hospitality team, we will watch the 2011 documentary called Hot Coffee. As ViVi, who showed it at her 8/14 film discussion, noted: "It's about that incident we all heard of: a woman sues McDonald's because her coffee was too hot. Well, it turns out that there is more to the story than we thought. Behind the publicity were corporations in favor of 'tort reform,' trying to make it difficult for citizens to have their grievances aired in court and to disempower juries." We'll have a discussion about the film afterward.

Join us for both of these informative October meetings!

-- Susan Holland, Public Policy Chairperson

10/11/11: Annual AAUW-NYS Day at the UN

Reminder:

Join your fellow AAUW-NYS members on Tuesday, October 11 at the United Nations in NYC. This yera's program is Gender Equality and Sustainable Development. The achievement of sustainable development requires the integration of its economic, environmental and social components at all levels. Women will play a key role in achieving sustainability.

Let Rokki Carr know if you register to attend and would like to travel together.

Morning Program at the United Nations

9:15 to 9:45 Check In

9:45 to 10 Welcome by Carolyn Donovan, AAUW's Representative at the UN

10 to 11 Briefing 1: Women's Leadership in building a Sustainable Economy: Preparing for Rio +20 in May, 2012

11 to 11:30 Briefing 2: Jane Roberts, founder, 34 Million Friends of UNFPA

11:30 to 12:15 Group Tour of the UN

12:15 to 1:15 Lunch in the UN Cafeteria (pay on your own)

Afternoon Program at the ICO Center, 323 East 47th Street

1:15 to 3:15 Panel Discussion: Developing a Sustainable Future for Women

• Rebecca Tinsley, author of When the Stars Fell To Earth, founder of Network 4 Africa

• Kimberly Campbell, Director, Metropolitan New York Chapter of the US National Committee for UN Women

• Other panel participants to be announced

Space Is Limited!

Registration fee of $30 includes a tour of the UN. (Lunch in the UN Cafeteria is pay as you go.) Send check payable to AAUW-NYS with form to:
AAUW-NYS International Chair, P.O. Box 384, Valley Cottage, NY 10989

For more information, contact Melissa Guardaro, AAUW-NYS International Chair (914-906-0242, mmg4@netzero.net). Postmark your reservation by October 3.

AAUW-NYS Sponsors a Day at the UN, Oct. 11

From Rokki Carr, International Chair

Join AAUW-NYS October 11 at the United Nations.  The program: Gender Equality and Sustainable Development. The achievement of sustainable development requires the integration of its economic, environmental and social components at all levels. Women will play a key role in achieving sustainability. 

Let me know if you register to attend and would like to travel together.

Morning Program at the United Nations

9:15-9:45        Check In

9:45-10:00      Welcome by Carolyn Donovan, AAUW's Representative at the UN

10:00-11:00    Briefing I: Women's Leadership in building a Sustainable Economy: Preparing for Rio +20 in May, 2012

11:00-11:30    Briefing II: Jane Roberts, founder, 34 Million Friends of UNFPA

11:30 -12:15   Group Tour of the United Nations

12:15-1:15      Lunch (on your own) A list of restaurants will be forwarded to registered participants.

Afternoon Program Co-Sponsored with Marymount College, ICO Center, 323 East 47th Street

1:15 – 3:15      Panel Discussion: Developing a Sustainable Future for Women

• Rebecca Tinsley, author of When the Stars Fell To Earth, founder of Network 4 Africa

• Kimberly Campbell, Director, Metropolitan New York Chapter of the US National Committee for UN Women

• Other Panel Participants to be announced

Space Is Limited!

Registration fee of $30 includes tour of the United Nations. (Lunch is on your own.) Please send check payable to AAUW NYS with this form to AAUW NYS International Chair, PO Box 384, Valley Cottage, NY 10989

For further information please contact Melissa Guardaro, NYS AAUW's International Chair, at (914) 906-0242 or mmg4@netzero.net. Please postmark your reservation by September 27, 2011

Ulster County Office of the Aging Public Hearing, Fri., Sept. 9

The Ulster County Executive, Michael Hein and the Office for the Aging invite you to attend their annual Public Hearing.  It will be held on Friday, September 9, 2011, beginning at 9:00 am (registration will begin at 8:30 am), at Roudigan’s Restaurant, Rt. 28, Kingston.  A “Healthy Continental Breakfast” will be provided through donations to the Ulster County Office for the Aging.
 
Guest speaker will be Michael Burgess, former NYSOFA Director, to speak about the New York State Senior Wide Senior Council.  We will also have various Directors of Ulster County departments to speak about services provided to the senior community.
 
Make your voice heard
The Annual Public Hearing provides seniors the opportunity to comment on current programs, offer suggestions for improving services and share ideas for additional programs that would be valuable to Ulster County seniors.  For those seniors who cannot attend the Hearing but would like to share their ideas and comments, please call the OFA and speak directly to the Director, Anne Cardinale.
 
For additional information and reservations, please call the Office for the Aging at (845) 340-3456 or toll free 1-877-914-3456.  Reservations are required to attend by Wednesday, September 7, 2011

GASLAND at 6:30 PM tonight at Rhinebeck Town Hall

Protect the Reproductive Health of NYS Women

Tell Rep. Cahill what you think

The NYS Assembly is evaluating two pieces of proposed legislation right now. It's critical we let them know our position.

• Vote NO! Assemblyman Katz has introduced a piece of legislation (A-7841) which would defund vital health care centers that provide services to thousands of women in New York including Planned Parenthood.

• Vote Yes! The Reproductive Health Act introduced by Assemblywoman Glick (A-6112) needs to be passed to ensure New York State's laws are strong as it relates to protecting a women's reproductive health options.

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill is a member of the Health Committee and can play an important role protecting the women and girls of NYS.

Use the YWCA advocacy site to tell your elected representative how you feel.

Considering the Spiritual; Different from the Religious

Sister Maria Lopez and Program VP Bev Sloane

Sister Maria Lopez says in her hospice work she provides spiritual support to Buddhists, Baptists, atheists and people of every other or no religious persuasion. And, there's a difference between spiritual and religious.

At the May 14 branch meeting,  Sister Maria explained  what spiritual care  is and used many of her hospice experiences to show the difference it has made in the lives of many.     The discussion ranged widely from our personal experiences with hospice to how our belief systems impact our relationships with others.

Sister Maria Lopez, a  member of the  Sisters of the Presentation,  has been a hospice chaplain in Ulster and Dutchess counties for 11 years.    Maria received a BA in Education from Mount Saint Mary College and an MA in Religious Studies from Manhattan College in the Bronx.  

Maria has extensive experience in education,  spirituality, and missionary work in Latin America, and pastoral work in NY.   She also served as  Executive Director of the Presentation Sisters International Association, where she directed the IPA  Global Social Justice Network,  and  established the Presentation Sisters as an NGO in consultation with ECOSOC at the UN.

Congress to consider removing deadline to ratify ERA

Baldwin Aims to Ratify ERA

On Tuesday, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (R-WI) introduced a bill to speed ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The legislation (H.J. Res. 47) would remove the deadline for ratification and render the Constitution amended once three additional states ratify. The last congressional deadline for state ratification ran out in 1982 with ratification from only 35 of the needed 38 state legislatures. 

Image via Wikipedia

Highlighting the continued importance of ratifying ERA, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recently noted his belief  that the Constitution does not currently prevent discrimination on the basis of sex.

AAUW is one of over 25 organizations to have endorsed Baldwin’s bill, consistent with our 2009-2011 Public Policy Program. We oppose all forms of discrimination and support constitutional protection for the civil rights of all individuals. 

This is an excerpt from this week's issue of Washington Update, an internal communication for public policy leaders and members of the American Association of University Women. 

Related articles

• Justice Scalia: The Constitution Doesn't Protect Women (blog-aauw.org)

Slideshow Celebrating Int'l Women's Day in the Hudson Valley

Here's a slideshow of yesterday's celebration at the Eleanor Roosevelt Walkway Over the Hudson. A glorious day shared with hundreds of Hudson Valley Women.

This Sat., 2/12/11: The Story Behind "Music in Desperate Times" Ars Choralis

February AAUW Branch Meeting
Saturday Morning, February 12, 2011, 10:30 a.m.
Kingston Library

Tom and Cecelia Keehn will present the story and slides of the renowned singing group, Ars Choralis, when they performed the unique "Music In Desperate Times" locally, in Germany and at St. John the Devine in Manhattan. Cecelia was the soprano soloist and Tom was a member of the chorus. Both are music educators and outstanding musicians.

If you're unfamiliar with "Music in Desperate Times, a friend of [Barbara] Pickhardt urged her to read a book about women who saved their lives by playing in an orchestra while prisoners in Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camp in Poland during World War II. Barbara was deeply moved by the story of these women.
 

She eventually researched the music the women played. Ars Choralis' member, Gregory Dinger, and accompanist, Kristen Tuttman, arranged the music. The spoken word was derived from texts written by survivors.

Survivors of the Ravensbrueck concentration camp in Furstenberg, Germany invited Ars Choralis to perform at their annual Liberation Day ceremonies in 2009 at the former Birkenau concentration camp, The Ars Choralis performance was   intensely emotional not only for the audience, but also for the performers.

Please note, this is not a presentation of the concert although there will be music in the background at times. This is the story of the performers' journey back through history and across the ocean in memory of those musicians saving their lives through music.

I hope that we will have a very good audience for this program.

Pat Stedge

Class Action Suit Leads to Award for AAUW to Continue Pay Equity Work

AAUW to Receive Cy Pres Award for Work to Fight Gender Discrimination

Award Follows Groundbreaking Gender Discrimination Case Settlement

WASHINGTON – The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has been awarded $23,500 as part of a cy pres award from the judgment in the largest gender discrimination case to ever go to trial.

The class action lawsuit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation included approximately 5,600 women sales force employees who claimed gender discrimination based on pay, promotion, and pregnancy. A jury found Novartis liable for gender discrimination in May 2010, and the subsequent settlement was filed in federal court in New York in July 2010. Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court for Eastern New York approved the final settlement agreement in November, and AAUW learned of its selection to receive a cy pres award in December.

Cy pres awards are the result of class action lawsuit funds and are typically distributed to charitable organizations. AAUW will receive this award to support its mission to advance equity for women and girls.

“We commend the brave plaintiffs and their extraordinary legal team in the Novartis case,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “They have broken through barriers for women employees of Novartis and for women employees around the world. We hope this case will inspire more women to stand up for their rights as workers and teach a lesson to those who would discriminate on gender or any other basis. AAUW is proud to be associated with this case and honored to be the recipient of an award that affirms our work against all forms of gender discrimination.”

The award from the Novartis settlement will help fund AAUW’s continuing advancement of women and girls through our programs, research, and advocacy, especially on the issue of fair pay. As this case demonstrates, wage discrimination remains a critical problem, and women's pay still lags behind that of men. On average, women make 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, and they represent only a small percentage of those who hold top positions in business and academia. By some estimates, women may lose between $500,000 and $1 million because of wage discrimination over a 40-year career.

“We were so pleased to be able to recommend AAUW for a cy pres award,” said Katherine Kimpel, a partner at the firm Sanford, Wittels, and Heisler, LLP, who successfully represented the class of more than 6,000 current and former women sales employees at Novartis. “Having an ally like AAUW in the fight for gender equity is so important, and we trust that the cy pres award will help AAUW continue to make a difference in the lives of girls and women across the United States.  The victory in Novartis, although gratifying, is just one step in the right direction, as far too many employers continue to deny women workers their fair share of the American dream.”

AAUW ED responds to NYT article

Linda Hallman, AAUW E.D.

To the [NYT] Editor:
According to “Man or Male?” (Education Life, Jan. 9), which compares men’s studies and male studies, both fields agree on something that is, fortunately, not true — that “academically at least, young men are in trouble.”
As our report “Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in Education” explains, there is no “boys’ crisis.” Boys continue to outscore girls, on average, on many standardized tests, including the SAT math and critical reading tests. And according to the United States Department of Education, 41 percent of both girls and boys who graduated from high school in 2007-08 were attending a four-year college in the fall of 2008.
Certainly, some young men are in trouble, as are some young women. But whether we measure by test scores in elementary school, high school graduation rates or college enrollment, the differences in educational achievement are much greater between students from different income levels and different racial/ethnic backgrounds than between girls and boys.
Linda D. Hallman
Executive Director
American Association of University Women
Washington, Jan. 12, 2011

AAUW supporting professor fighting gender and race discrimination

AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Supports Promotion Suit against University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

UMass,Dartmouth Commencement

WASHINGTON – The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund announced today that it is awarding monetary support to the case Sun v. University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Plaintiff Lulu Sun, an English professor, has alleged sex and race discrimination in the promotion process at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Sun filed two charges of discrimination with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination (MCAD), the first in 2005 and the second in 2006.

For the first charge, MCAD found probable cause of discrimination based on gender, race, and national origin. In the second charge, MCAD found probable cause of retaliation and of discrimination based on gender, race, and national origin.

Sun will seek not only a promotion and damages for the alleged discrimination but also an order from MCAD requiring the university administration to undertake diversity and anti-discrimination training and to actively recruit and promote women faculty, especially women of color.

A public hearing began in December 2010 and will conclude on Monday, January 31, 2011.

"By supporting Dr. Sun's case, we are sending employers the message that discrimination will not be tolerated," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund seeks out cases that can bring about equitable treatment for all women in all workplaces."

AAUW support has been instrumental in the success of many promotion and tenure cases of faculty and staff at universities across the country during the 30-year history of the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund.

"At my university, there has been a pattern of discrimination against women and people of color for over a dozen years," said Sun. "There are almost no female faculty of color at the full professor rank. I am grateful that AAUW is supporting my case as I work to change this reality."

Today, AAUW provides financial and organizational support for a select number of cases that have the potential to provide significant protection for all women. The funds come directly from generous AAUW members who support the Legal Advocacy Fund.

For additional information: aauw-communications@aauw.org 

Fighting It Out In Court: Dukes v. Wal-Mart

Image via Wikipedia

AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Supports Gender Discrimination Suit against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

WASHINGTON – The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund announced today that it is awarding monetary support to the case Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Lead plaintiff Betty Dukes, a Wal-Mart employee, has alleged gender discrimination in pay and promotion policies and practices in Wal-Mart retail stores. Plaintiffs for the case comprise a class of approximately 1.6 million female Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club employees.

Case History
In 2001, Dukes and other lead plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in order to further pursue the case as a class action. Wal-Mart appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, then to a three-judge panel of the same court, and then to the full en banc court. The class certification was affirmed after all three appeals, and now Wal-Mart is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. If the court affirms the class certification, the case will become the largest civil rights class action suit in the nation’s history.

The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari on December 6, 2010, and oral arguments on the class certification have been set for March 29, 2011.

Why AAUW Supports This Case
“AAUW is proud to lend our support to the lead plaintiffs of this groundbreaking case,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “There is no chance that each of the 1.6 million female employees has the financial resources, time, and patience to pursue her own case against Wal-Mart. AAUW strongly believes that these women’s voices should be heard and that they should be able to stand together to fight for their families’ economic well-being. Class action cases also have a much stronger deterrent effect, showing the business community that discrimination is not good for the bottom line.”

AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund support has been instrumental to the success of many gender discrimination cases during LAF’s 30-year history. Other LAF initiatives include community and campus outreach programs, a resource library and online advocacy tools, a Legal Referral Network, and various research reports.

"Wal-Mart claims this case is too big to bring as a class action, but there is no big company exception to the civil rights laws,” said Equal Rights Advocates Executive Director Arcelia Hurtado. “The reality is that without a class action, the women working at Wal-Mart will never have their day in court. The women have been treated unequally as a class, and they should be able to assert their rights as a class."

AAUW’s strategic case support program provides financial and organizational backing for a select number of cases that have the potential to provide significant protection for all women. The funds come directly from the generous contributions of AAUW members who support the Legal Advocacy Fund.

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This blog is published by the AAUW Kingston, NY Branch. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 130 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections. 

Paycheck Fairness Vote This Week. Call in NOW!

Help Batgirl in the Battle for Fair Pay Watch the Batgirl vs.Unfair Pay Take Action! The lame duck Senate is slated to vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act this Wednesday. If we don't get it passed now, we start over again and the odds of getting it passed become negligible -- probably for years. Tuesday, Nov. 17, is a national call-in day to support the Paycheck Fairness Act. Please call your Senators toll-free at 877/667-6650. Thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for sponsoring the Act. Ask them to work hard to pass it without amendment so that it will go directly to President Obama's desk for signature. SHARE our Batgirl video on Facebook and Twitter and by email and encourage your friends to call! And remember - Batgirl always calls more than once when it's super important! 877/667-6650 AAUW NY Kingston Branch

Related articles

• Paycheck Fairness and the Myth of Runaway Verdicts (blog-aauw.org)
• Women Still Make Only 77 Cents (blog-aauw.org)