MEDIA, PA — In the early 1970s, a groundswell of advocacy began to break the silence surrounding domestic violence. Pioneered by the Women’s Liberation Movement, this grassroots campaign evolved into the Battered Women’s Movement, bringing the fight against gender-based violence into the public eye.
Fast forward to today, and the question arises: how did this radical movement fighting for women’s rights become embedded within state bureaucracies? And how can educational institutions harness the power of community engagement to continue the fight for social justice?
Delaware County Community College’s Center for Equity and Social Justice is set to host a free online lecture titled “Radical Origins Revived: Harnessing Community-Engaged Curriculums for Social Change.” Scheduled for Thursday, March 21 at 12:10 p.m., the event will delve into these questions in honor of Women’s History Month. Register here for the event, or visit the center’s web page at dccc.edu/cesj.
The speaker, Dr. Jennifer Naccarelli, an associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Delaware, will explore the history of the Battered Women’s Movement and service learning in higher education. She will also discuss how community-engaged curriculums can contribute to societal transformations towards greater equity and justice.
Dr. Naccarelli, who is also the founding director and current co-director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, pioneered an undergraduate advocacy training program at the University of Delaware in 2011. Her work focuses on the intersection of feminist theory and practice, integrating experiential learning within undergraduate coursework to create a more profound understanding of gender-based violence.
The lecture is part of the “Dialogues for Diversity” series, which has been hosted by the Center for Equity and Social Justice since 2020. These discussions are free and open to the public, offering a platform for meaningful dialogue that promotes education, awareness, and transformative change toward equity and social justice.
By revisiting the radical origins of the Domestic Violence Movement and examining the power of community-engaged learning, this event hopes to inspire attendees to contribute to the ongoing fight for social justice. Such initiatives highlight the role of educational institutions as catalysts for societal change, reminding us that the spirit of the Battered Women’s Movement—a push for recognition, respect, and rights—continues to be relevant today.
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