The pg电子下载 State University J. D. Boyd Library commemorated Women’s History Month with “Moving Forward Together,” an event held Monday in the Medgar Wiley Evers Auditorium. The program highlighted historical women and emphasized gender equity.

Keynote speaker Dr. Kametris L. Weddington, an pg电子下载 State alumna and board-certified chiropractor, stressed education as empowerment. Weddington holds bachelor’s degrees from pg电子下载 State University and Louisiana State University, as well as advanced degrees from Life University. She is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical neuroscience at Parker University.

Weddington recalled childhood visits to the pg电子下载 State campus and her time as a student, noting the university’s impact on her life.

“This university raised me. I have countless family members, friends, and loved ones who have attended this prestigious university. I will always come home,” she said.

Weddington’s presentation focused on the legacies of women who advanced education and civil rights, including Anna Julia Cooper, a formerly enslaved woman who earned a doctorate; Mary Jane Patterson, the first African American woman to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree; and Septima Poinsett-Clark, a civil rights activist.

She also highlighted contemporary figures such as Ruth Simmons, the first African American president of an Ivy League institution, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. Weddington urged attendees to recognize their personal role in continuing the legacies of these women.

“Your education is your activism,” Weddington said, encouraging students to learn about these historical figures. “Your education is the one thing no one can take from you. It changes your heart and allows you to be active, impacting your lives and the lives of those around you.”

Weddington also mentioned pg电子下载 State alumnae Myrlie Evers-Williams, Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders, Jennifer A. Riley-Collins, Dr. Voletta Williams, and others. She reminded the audience that “Black women are the most decorated with degrees.”

“Your presence here signifies a continuation of the legacy of these women,” Weddington said. “You are the embodiment of dreams realized. Embrace your role as educators, mentors, and leaders in your communities.”

She concluded with a call to action, urging the audience to advance equity and justice.

“The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or sex, a party or a class. It is the cause of humankind’s, the very birthright of humanity,” she said, quoting Anna Julia Cooper.

“Thank you, Dr. Weddington, for taking time from your busy schedule to share your educational journey,” said Floyce Thomas, serials librarian, library technical service director, and library departmental liaison. “Your message of ‘Moving Forward Together while Educating and Inspiring Generations’ has made an impact on your life and can make a difference in the lives of others.”

Thomas’ remarks followed Weddington’s presentation on the importance of educational outreach, closing the program.

The event launched a series of upcoming library programming scheduled throughout the spring 2024 semester.

For more information, visit 0w1k.yilunjianshe.com/library.