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W&L Celebrates Women’s History Month The campus will celebrate women’s achievements with various events throughout the month of March.

women´s-History-Month-350x350 W&L Celebrates Women’s History Month
Washington and Lee University will honor Women’s History Month in March with a month-long commemoration and celebration of women’s achievements.

On March 5, W&L will celebrate the accomplishments of women in Chanoyu or a “Japanese ceremony consisting of the serving and taking of tea in accordance with an elaborate ritual” in the Sheshin’an Tearoom in Watson Gallery on campus at 10 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Registration is required and can be accessed at calendly.com/mwlu/womensdaytea. The event will also feature “Chawan by Women Potters” from the collection of Barbra and Hal Higginbotham.

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at W&L, in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of the College and the History Department at W&L, will host Robin Mitchell, an award-winning scholar, on campus for two weeks beginning Feb. 28. Mitchell is an associate professor of history at the California State University Channel Islands. She is a 19th-century French historian specializing in discourses about race, gender and sexuality. Much of her work focuses on the white colonial fantasies, scandals and crime imposed upon Black women’s bodies and voices in French metropolitan spaces.

“Robin Mitchell is an award-winning author, teacher and mentor who is redefining the histories of gender and race in Europe and the world,” said Sarah Horowitz, professor of history at W&L. “We’re thrilled to bring her to W&L to interact with the campus community during her two-week stay.”

Mitchell will give a public lecture titled “Suzanne Simone Baptiste: A Black Wife in Haitian Revolutionary France” on March 2 at 5 p.m. in Northen Auditorium on the W&L campus. Mitchell will discuss the role of Toussaint Louverture’s wife during the Haitian Revolution.

The Office of Inclusion and Engagement will also welcome keynote speaker Michele Thornton Ghee, the CEO of 1145 Holdings, the holding company of the Iconic Brands, EBONY and Jet, to celebrate Women’s History Month on March 21 at 5:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium.

Ghee’s visit is in partnership with the Virginia Military Institute’s Diversity Office. Ghee has worked for some of the most powerful companies worldwide, including WME, CNN, A&E, The History Channel and BET Networks.

This story will be updated with more details about these events as they draw closer.

All visitors, including those who are fully vaccinated, are expected to wear a mask indoors when not eating or drinking to comply with campus Covid-19 guidelines.