By Darlene Arvelo
Reporting assistance by Paulina Gajewski
Brooklyn College is honoring the 50th anniversary of its pioneering Women’s and Gender Studies (WGST) program with an archival history exhibit that spotlights the impact of feminist thought, gender studies, and the voices of women throughout history. The exhibit, entitled “50 Years of Women and Gender Studies,” brings together archived materials to highlight and celebrate five decades of intersectional community, advocacy, and scholarship.
Since its inception in 1974, Brooklyn College’s WGST program has been a trailblazer in feminist education, giving rise to critical studies of gender and sexuality. The exhibit marks this milestone with a diverse array of works to showcase the history of this fight. Through handwritten and printed event flyers, curriculum designs, textile symbols, photographs, posters, and published works, “50 Years of Women and Gender Studies” explores themes of gender, sexuality, and identity with dulcet tones of empowerment, resistance, and the ongoing struggle for gender justice.
The Vanguard met with the exhibit’s curator, Marianne Labatto, and chatted about its process, challenges and inspirations.
“I really wanted to tell the story before Women’s Studies was established and talk about its connection to the women’s liberation movement, to activism on campus,” she told The Vanguard.
The exhibit offers visitors the opportunity to explore how Black, female, and queer activism has shaped the evolution of gender studies. These advocates and scholars have challenged the historical traditional representations of women in academia, pushing back against the dominant narratives that restricted women’s roles to passive, decorative figures–both in and outside of academia.
The exhibit traces the growth of the WGST program over the decades. Dr. Namita Manohar, the ’09-’12 director of the program and a professor of sociology at BC, reflects on her time guiding the program towards greater diversity, inclusion, and interdisciplinarity as Manohar opened the program from Women’s Studies to Women’s and Gender Studies.
“It has taught me to center the lives, voices, and experiences of those at the margins of dominant narratives and stories and to account for the salience of power and agency in all contexts,” Manohar told The Vanguard.
Today, this showcase continues that dialogue by reflecting on the progress that has been made, as well as the challenges that persist in the fight for gender equality and justice. The works and efforts displayed in this exhibit hope to continue to inspire new generations to engage with gender and sexuality in innovative and diverse ways.
In addition to the visual display, the exhibit featured a talk that further explored the contributions of gender studies to social justice. Speaker Amy Reid, who until recently was New College of Florida director of the Gender Studies Program, has taken the lead in pushing back against gag orders and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)–a term used to describe programs that promote the representation and of diverse peoples–bans that limit freedom of expression and academic freedom in higher education. Labatto firmly believes in the importance of having these WGST programs.
“Everybody’s worldview expands. They see things from a different perspective. They’re able to examine their world more critically, be open, and you know, really understand more about stereotypes, discrimination, racism, gender issues, all that kind of stuff,” said Labatto.
Brooklyn College’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of its Women’s and Gender Studies program through historical archives hopes to show the institution’s commitment to fostering a dynamic space for intellectual engagement, activism, and artistic expression. “50 Years of Women’s and Gender Studies” hopes to serve as a reminder of the transformative role of the female and queer community and activism in the ongoing fight for gender equality.
“That’s what activism is. It’s not something that you do for a day, or a week, or when you’re angry about something,” said Labatto. “It’s something you’re committed to that you do for the long haul, that you have a vision.”
Students interested in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department at BC can visit their website at https://www.brooklyn.edu/wgst/ and visit the exhibit on the first floor of the library.