Motherhood in Adversity is Theme for College Events

Motherhood in the face of adversity is the theme for a series of public events hosted during the next several weeks by Emory University's Race and Difference Initiative and the Atlanta Consortium of Colleges and Universities (ACCU).

The programs, focusing on "Motherhood at the Intersection of Race and Class," open with two traveling art exhibitions by historian and curator Rickie Solinger. They will be on display in the Schatten Art Gallery of Emory's Woodruff Library Jan. 15-March 12. Also scheduled are film screenings, arts performances, panel discussions and an academic conference. The programs will culminate in an appearance by women's rights icon Angela Davis March 24 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

For more information and a complete list of events, go to http://rdi.emory.edu.

Exhibits at Emory

The first Emory exhibit, “Interrupted Life: Incarcerated Mothers in the United States,” is comprised of eight linked installation pieces representing a dramatic display of painting, drawing, sculpture and photography that documents the experiences of women incarcerated in the United States. Several of the pieces are from inmates themselves.

“Beggars and Choosers: Motherhood is Not a Class Privilege in America” consists of 60 photographic images challenging the idea that motherhood should be a right accorded only to those who are privileged in society. These images show the complexity of motherhood for women who are considered too young, too poor, too ethnic or otherwise considered “unfit” to be mothers by many in mainstream America.

"These exhibits and series of events provide an opportunity for the Atlanta community to come together to discuss these and related issues," says Esther Jones, race and difference postdoctoral fellow at Emory.

For Emory library and exhibition hours, visit http://web.library.emory.edu/libraries/Schatten.

Jones says the series resulted from a chance encounter between Ozzie Harris, vice provost of community and diversity at Emory, and Georgianne Thomas, professor of humanities at Clark Atlanta University, who is affiliated with the ACCU. Harris and Thomas were joined in the effort by Martha Fineman, Woodruff Professor of Law and co-leader of Emory's Race and Difference Initiative.