Throughout March, Oglethorpe University celebrated Women’s History Month with a series of thought-provoking events and activities to highlight the contributions of women to history and female empowerment.

You helped girls such as myself aspire to be the best in everything that we do – unafraid of society’s barriers on us due to our gender. That aspiration brought me to the United States and to Oglethorpe University where I am able to be whatever I want to be, through hard work and determination.

To kick off the month, Student Engagement & Leadership sponsored an essay contest to honor notable women in history. Entrants were asked to write a one-page letter describing what feminism means. Mary Otoo ’19 submitted the winning essay, a creative letter written to Yaa Asantewaa, a beloved figure in Asante history and in Ghana for her role in confronting the British colonialism in the 19^th century. Mary grew up in Ghana and drew upon her own history in the essay:

Dear Yaa Asantewaa,

Growing up in Ghana, I had always heard your name here and there, like a soft whistle in the wind. I knew you were a woman of empowerment, but I never knew the term to use to describe you. I remember that day in history class where we learned about your bravery and courage. However, my male teacher quickly brushed through your story because his masculine ego did not allow him to boast about you. He could not bear the fact that you – a woman – went to war while his fellow men were afraid. You fought for the freedom of your people, and you fought well. You led the battle against colonialism, against oppression, from the British and gained a spot in the history books of Ghana and all across the world. You were a queen, but that did not stop you from casting your crown aside to fight for justice. This is why I believe you are the definition of feminism.

As women, our beauty is not in just our roles or our outward appearances; it is our strength and our ability to do the things that men are afraid to do. Although I was raised in a patriarchal society such as Ghana, you showed me that there is no reason why I should be intimidated by the men that surround the country. You helped girls such as myself aspire to be the best in everything that we do – unafraid of society’s barriers on us due to our gender. That aspiration brought me to the United States and to Oglethorpe University where I am able to be whatever I want to be, through hard work and determination. I have carried this spirit of confidence with me throughout my life and I am able to impart it on other girls such as my little sister, cousins, and nieces. Thank you for your spirit that continues to resonate within not just Ghanaian girls, but girls all over. You were a feminist before it was even a thing. Thank you, Yaa Asantewaa. Nyame nhyira wo!

Yours truly,
Afua Mary

Other events included a multi-disciplinary lecture on bodies, gender and the racial imagination by Dr. Linda Chavers from Temple University, at the invite of Oglethorpe’s Dr. Reshmi Hebbar. The talk was inspired by recent developments in the Emmett Till case and uses Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me.

The Tau Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hosted Tabitha D. James, a female, minority entrepreneur, who held a discussion revolving around social media and how the “posted view” can blur the reality of life.

To close the month, Oglethorpe Women’s Network (OWN) presented After Spring, a feature documentary that focuses on the Syrian refugee crisis. After Spring is the story about two refugee families in transition, who together with aid workers fight to keep a refugee camp running. Following the screening, OWN hosted a panel discussion to address the refugee crisis from a humanitarian perspective.