Center for Women's Research & Public Policy

Mississippi on the Mall Weekend Washington, D.C.
2024-06-07 08:00 - 2024-06-08 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.
Cocktails with W AlumniFriday, June 7, 2024Join us for cocktails Friday, June 7, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Hotel Hive’s rooftop bar located at 2224 F Street NW in Washington, D.C. Please register for this event in advance. For assistance, please call 662-329-7148. Mississippi on the MallSaturday, June 8, 2024The Mississippi Society of Washington, D.C., presents the 33rd annual Mississippi on the Mall celebration Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Henry Bacon Ball Field on the National Mall. Tickets may be purchased May 6 to June 8 at the Mississippi Society of Washington, D.C., website. May 6 to May 19: member tickets $45 each; non-member tickets $65 each May 20 to June 1: member tickets $55 each; non-member tickets $75 each June 2 to June 8: all tickets $85 each Your ticket includes catfish, sweet tea, cold brews, and all things Mississippi. Tickets for children under 12 are free. This year’s signed art print featured in the image above and designed by Hi Y’all! Made in the South specifically for Mississippi on the Mall is available for purchase on the website along with t-shirts featuring the design. Rain or shine, join us under the tent for a great afternoon on the Mall!

Commencement
2024-05-03 | Rent Auditorium
College of Arts & Sciences Bill & Jo-Ann Vandergriff College of Nursing & Health Sciences (Associate of Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing, Doctorate of Nursing) Ceremony begins at 1 p.m. Doors open at noon. Bill & Jo-Ann Vandergriff College of Nursing & Health Sciences (Kinesiology, Public Health, Speech-Language Pathology) College of Business & Professional Studies School of Education Ceremony begins at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m.

2024-03-07 18:00 - 19:30 | Nissan Auditorium, Parkinson Hall
The 2024 Martha Swain Speaker’s Series Lecture will be held at 6 pm on Thursday, March 7 in Parkinson Hall’s Nissan Auditorium. This year, we will welcome Dr. Cassie Turnipseed to campus for a lively and engaging discussion of the life and legacy of Mississippi’s fearless daughter, Ida B. Wells-Barnett. The event is free and open to the public. Those unable to attend in person may register for Zoom access here. The Martha Swain Speaker Series brings distinguished guests to campus to speak in March as part of the W’s Women’s History Month celebration. The series features issues important to women’s interests, lives, and experiences as a way to honor Dr. Martha Swain, a preeminent historian of Mississippi women and politics.Dr. Cassie Turnipseed is an Assistant Professor of History at Jackson State University and has spent much of her career highlighting Black history in the Delta, from her work with the Cultural Arts program and the B.B. King Museum to research uncovering the contributions of the Gullah Geechee people and collaborations to memorialize the history of cotton pickers and sharecroppers. As a member of the Mississippi Humanities Council Speakers Bureau, Dr. Turnipseed frequently speaks about the legacy of Ida B. Wells-Barnett to audiences across the state.Ida Wells Barnett was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi and single-handedly launched an international campaign to stop lynching. A woman who helped found both the NAACP and the National Association of Colored Women, she campaigned for suffrage and race and gender equality throughout her life.

2024 Music by Women Festival
2024-03-07 - 2024-03-09 | Kossen Auditorium (Inside Poindexter Hall)
The Mississippi University for Women’s eighth annual Music by Women Festival will be held in the historic Poindexter Hall on the campus of the Mississippi University for Women. The festival will include papers, presentations, lecture recitals, and performances all relating to the subject of music composed, taught and performed by women. The festival will feature concerts of new and historic music written by women composers historically as well as in the present day. Visit the website to view the schedule: https://www.muw.edu/musicbywomen/. Concerts are free and open to the public.

NEW Leadership® Mississippi Summer Institute
2023-06-09 00:00 - 23:59, 2023-06-08 00:00 - 23:59, 2023-06-07 00:00 - 23:59, 2023-06-06 00:00 - 23:59, 2023-06-05 00:00 - 23:59, 2023-06-04 00:00 - 23:59 | The W Campus, 1100 College St, Columbus, MS, United States
Each summer the program brings together college students from across the political spectrum and from a wide range of racial, ethnic, educational, political and economic backgrounds to discuss the roles of women in leadership and politics. NEW Leadership® Mississippi (NEW MS) is designed to empower women’s participation in politics through programs that educate, empower, and encourage college students to become politically active and to take on leadership roles in public service. During the summer institute, students will meet women leaders, learn about women in American politics, and develop and practice leadership skills through panel discussions, workshops, and hands-on projects.
The 2023 Summer Institute will take place June 4-9.

Last Day to Apply to Summer Institute
2023-04-07 | MS

Homecoming 2023 Music Student Showcase
2023-03-30 20:00 - 21:00 | Poindexter Music Hall, 305 Ginkgo Lane, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
The Department of Music welcomes alumni back to The W with the Homecoming Music Student Showcase at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in Poindexter Hall’s Connie Kossen Auditorium.

Martha Swain Speaker Series: Anastasia C. Curwood
2023-03-30 19:00 - 20:00 | Nissan Auditorium (Inside Parkinson Hall)
Come and hear Anastasia C. Curwood talk about the life and experiences of Shirley Chisholm, whose 1972 bid for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party made history and paved the way for further women’s political activism. Curwood is the author of the forthcoming biography, Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics (2023) and the author of Stormy Weather: Middle-Class African American Marriages between the Two World Wars.

Martha Swain Speaker Series Book Signing
2023-03-30 15:00 - 16:00 | Friendly City Books, 118 N 5th Street, Columbus, 39701, United States
Meet author and historian Anastasia C. Curwood and get a signed copy of her new autobiography of Shirley Chisholm at Friendly City Books in downtown Columbus. Chisolm was a trailblazing politician and Black feminist, and Curwood will discuss her life and impact at 7PM on The W’s campus. In addition to her biography, Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics, Curwood is the author of Stormy Weather: Middle-Class African American Marriages between the Two World Wars.
Open to the public.

Homecoming 2023
2023-03-30 - 2023-04-02 | The W Campus, 1100 College St, Columbus, MS, United States

Suffragette Movie Night & Voter Registration
2023-03-28 16:00 - 17:30 | Nissan Auditorium (Inside Parkinson Hall)
Join the History, Political Science, & Geography Club for a Women’s History Month-inspired movie night! Grab some snacks and settle in for Suffragette, which “movingly explores the passion and heartbreak of those who risked all they had for women’s right to vote – their jobs, their homes, their children, and even their lives.” (Focus Features 2015). After the film, stick around for voter registration & elections Q&A.
Free and open to the public.

A Walk in Her Shoes Campus March
2023-03-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Cochran Hall, 1205 3rd Avenue South, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
March with SPB, I.D.E.A.L Women, and The W’s Council of Family Relations in solidarity with women and children facing or recovering from domestic violence or navigating crisis pregnancies. We will begin the march at the steps of Cochran Hall at 4 PM. If you’re able, bring a donation to the 2nd floor of Cochran Hall between 9 AM and 5 PM the day before for Sally Kate Winters Family Services or Life Choices Pregnancy Care Center.
Free and open to the public. Donations encouraged!

Springfest
2023-03-23 15:00 - 18:00 | Bryan Green Gazebo
Join us for Springfest, a spring festival collaboratively hosted by the Interclub Council–a body representing all of The W’s 4-year social clubs. This year’s celebration will include a riff-off karaoke contest and a water balloon fight at the Gazebo on Bryan Green. All proceeds from raffle sales and entry fees will be donated to Safe Haven and will benefit victims of domestic abuse.

A Walk in Her Shoes Donation Day
2023-03-22 09:00 - 17:00 | Cochran Hall, 1205 3rd Avenue South, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
SPB, I.D.E.A.L Women, and The W’s Council of Family Relations are accepting donations for the Sally Kate Winters Family Services or Life Choices Pregnancy Care Center. If you’re able, bring a cash donation or an item from the list below to the 2nd floor of Cochran Hall between 9 AM and 5 PM to support the work of these organizations as they help women and children in need in the Golden Triangle.
SALLY KATE WINTERS WISH LIST
School Supplies
Women’s Personal Hygiene Items
Large Towels
2 Gently-Used Adult Bikes
Cleaning Supplies
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
LIFE CHOICES WISH LIST
Infant Winter Clothing & Mittens
Pacifiers
Breast Milk Storage Bags
Infant Nail Clippers
Diapers
Baby Lotion
Hooded Towels, Wash Cloths, and Burp Cloths
Maxi-pads/Adult Diapers

Shirley Chisholm Film Screening & Discussion
2023-03-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Nissan Auditorium (Inside Parkinson Hall)
Join I.D.E.A.L. Woman for a film screening and discussion of Shirley Chisholm, the perfect introduction to the subject of this year’s Swain Speaker Series. In 1968, Chisholm became the first African American woman to serve in the US Congress; in 1972, she became both the first woman and the first African American to compete in one of the major parties’ presidential nomination contests. Her motto, “Unbought and Unbossed,” testified to her strength of character and conviction, and she blazed a trail that opened the door to many women in politics and laid the foundations of Black feminist politics.

A Conversation with Dr. Flonzie Brown Wright
2023-03-20 16:00 - 18:00 | Kossen Auditorium (Inside Poindexter Hall)
The W’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council welcomes Dr. Flonzie Brown Wright to campus for a celebration of DEI Award winners. During the Civil Rights Movement, Wright helped register thousands of voters in Mississippi. She was the first African American female elected official in Mississippi post-Reconstruction and authored the best-selling autobiography Looking Back to Move Ahead, which chronicles her journey growing up in a small Mississippi town through her work in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and 1970s. She worked directly with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many other humanitarian activists, both locally and nationally. Her experiences are documented in a 1997 film entitled Standing on My Sisters’ Shoulders (which is being screened earlier this month, on March 7). Dr. Wright will speak and a reception and book signing will follow at 5. Free and open to the public.
4-6 p.m.

Charter Day
2023-03-12 00:00 - 22:59 | MS
On this date in 1884, the Mississippi state legislature passed the charter founding the Industrial Institute and College (II&C), the first publicly funded college for women in the United States. The school would go on to become The W.

League of Women Voters Launch Party
2023-03-09 17:30 - 18:30 | Gail P. Gunter Multi-Purpose Room
If you want to get more informed and involved in state and local politics, or you want to help others do the same, come check out the newest chapter of the League of Women Voters in Mississippi! This nonpartisan political organization encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The LWV of the Golden Triangle Area branch serves Columbus, Starkville, West Point, and the surrounding areas and is hoping to add new members and hear from the community about the sorts of civics programming and advocacy they want to see in their communities. There will be light refreshments and a book raffle featuring biographies of powerful Democratic and Republican women from US history.

Wear White & Purple for International Women's Day
2023-03-08 00:00 - 23:59 | The W Campus, 1100 College St, Columbus, MS, United States
The suffragettes in both the US & the UK adopted white and purple as symbols of their movement; ever since, people have worn these colors as a sign of solidarity with the fight for gender equality. On International Women’s Day, show your support for women everywhere and remind others that this month is full of opportunities to learn more about and celebrate women’s achievements and to push for greater equity and appreciation for women’s contributions in the future.

Standing on My Sisters’ Shoulders Film Screening & Discussion
2023-03-07 16:00 - 17:30 | Tiered Classroom Fant Memorial Library
Join Fant Memorial Library for popcorn, a movie, and discussion as we celebrate black women’s activism in the Mississippi Civil Rights movement! Winner of Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival, this documentary explores the crucial grassroots activism of Black women whose names you may know (like Fannie Lou Hamer) and those you probably don’t (like Annie Devine) who risked physical danger and economic hardship to secure voting rights, integrate schools, and advance black political power in the state. After the movie, we’ll hear from local civil rights activists who are continuing the work of these amazing pioneers. This event is also the perfect introduction to the activism of Dr. Flonzie Brown Wright, who will give a lecture and lead campus in celebrating this year’s DEI Award winners March 20. Free and open to the public.

Music by Women Festival 2023
2023-03-04 00:00 - 23:59, 2023-03-03 00:00 - 23:59 | Poindexter Music Hall, 305 Ginkgo Lane, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Join the W Department of Music as we host our annual Music by Women Festival!
Alongside lectures, we have 5 concerts a day you can attend during the duration of the festival.
10 AM, Noon/12 PM, 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM, 8:00 PM
For more information, please click here: https://www.muw.edu/musicbywomen.
These events are free and open to the public.

Charter Week
2023-03-03 12:00 - 2023-03-09 23:45 | Cochran Ballroom
Charter Week is to recognized and celebrate the day MUW was chartered. This week will have a luncheon, traditional walk, W Blue Party and end it with a Stuffed Owl, novelty. Hosted by: Student Programming Board Additional Information can be found at: https://muw.campuslabs.com/engage/event/8753315

Honors Forum Series: Screening and Discussion of Joyce Chopra's Lady Director
2023-03-02 18:00 - 19:30 | Nissan Auditorium (Inside Parkinson Hall)
Join the Ina E. Gordy Honors College for a film screening and discussion of women in the film industry. Library Journal says, “Award-winning film director Chopra’s memoir pulls no punches. . . She candidly describes navigating sexism and abuse in the film industry; her start as a documentarian; her groundbreaking autobiographical short Joyce at 34; winning Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival for her first feature film, Smooth Talk; and her constant battles with Hollywood producers who refused to work with a woman director.” Chopra has granted us the rights to screen her groundbreaking Joyce at 34 and will join us virtually afterward to discuss her career.

Music by Women Festival 2023
2023-03-02 00:00 - 23:59 | Poindexter Music Hall, 305 Ginkgo Lane, Columbus, MS, 39701, United States
Join the W Department of Music as we host our 7th annual Music by Women Festival! Alongside lectures, we have 6 concerts a day you can attend during the duration of the festival. 9 am | 11 am | 1 pm | 3 pm | 5 pm | 8 pm For the full schedule, please click here: https://www.muw.edu/musicbywomen. These events are free and open to the public.
