Discussion explores women's roles in the civil rights movement

UofL professor, gender rights advocate and radio show host Kaila Story spoke at the Cultural Center Wednesday afternoon as part of Martin Luther King, Jr. week. Her talk, titled “Women in the Movement”, explored women’s roles in the civil rights movement.

Story began the talk by naming numerous black, female civil rights activists that aren’t necessarily well known, such as Daisy Bates and Diane Nash. Bates, for example, played a leading role in the Little Rock Integration Crisis, while Nash is a leader of the student wing of the Civil Rights Movement. Story highlighted the contributions these women made to the movement and to the development of organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Story then asked why there isn't as much awareness of their contributions from a historical perspective as compared to their civil rights movement counterparts. This question launched a Q&A in which topics such as the presidential election, gender, misogyny, and economics were discussed.

The event had a large turnout and brought out several UofL students, faculty, and staff.

Story is an associate professor of women’s and gender studies and she holds the Audre Lorde Chair in Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Story and Black Lives Matter activist, Jaison Gardner, host a weekly radio show of musings on politics, pop culture and black gay life called Strange Fruit. The radio show airs on Saturday nights on 89.3 WFPL.