Journalist, activist Gloria Steinem to speak on campus

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Gloria Steinem, the woman who became the nationally recognized leader and spokeswoman for the women's liberation movement, will visit the Western Michigan University campus in early November.

"An Evening with Gloria Steinem" is part of the fall Raise Your Voice Series and begins at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6, in Miller Auditorium. Her presentation, as with others in the series, is free and open to the public, with seating offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Gloria Steinem

In addition to being a political activist and leader in the feminist movement, Steinem is a journalist. She co-founded New York Magazine and Ms. Magazine, where she continues to serve as a consulting editor. She helped to found the Women's Action Alliance, the National Women's Political Caucus and Choice USA. She was also the founding president of the Ms. Foundation for Women and helped create Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

Steinem says she started Ms. Magazine because there was nothing for women to read that was controlled by women.

Steinem will sign copies of her newest book, "My Life on the Road," detailing her more than 30 years as a feminist organizer, in the Miller Auditorium lobby following her lecture. Books will be available for purchase at the auditorium.

About the series

The Raise Your Voice lecture series is intended to respond to the groundswell of voices currently advocating for a safe and supportive environment in which to study, work, live and love. The series addresses issues of street and workplace sexual harassment, rape on college campuses, and ineffectual responses to marginalization, bullying and abuse. The series began in January and arose from discussions at the WMU Lee Honors College about issues of violence and hostility against women that had surfaced in previous months. Lee Honors College Dean Carla Koretsky and Jane Baas, honors college associate dean, formed a committee to create the yearlong series.

For more information, visit wmich.edu/honors/events/raise-your-voice.