The Branch,
Poughkeepsie AAUW

April 2020 Newsletter>>

March 2020 Newsletter>>
 

---

AAUW Connections #1, #2, #3>>

Suggestions of Food, Help and Entertainment
during this difficult time.

---

AAUW-NYS & National News>>

AAUW-NYS Convention Canceled

AAUW 2020 Vision: The Gender Agenda>>
 

---

---

Coming Events

---

---

Iron Jawed Angels

The film focuses on the American women's suffrage movement during the 1910s and follows women's suffrage leaders Alice Paul and Lucy Burns as they use peaceful and effective nonviolent strategies, tactics, and dialogues to revolutionize the American feminist movement to grant women the right to vote.

Fiery American suffragette Alice Paul lights a fire under the older women's leaders in Washington DC. President Wilson refuses to give all women the vote, but Paul is prepared to go to prison for her cause.

 

"The road to equality for women" from Southern Dutchess News by Lea Bishop of Women's Professional Network>>
 

---

Program Canceled.   Check back for information on this topic.

“Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.” ― Anthony Bourdain

April 16, 2020 7:00 pm
 

The Future of Food & Nutrition: Trends and Perspectives

Food is central to our health and the health of the planet. With growing global challenges of obesity, hunger, and climate change (to name a few…) how will we feed a future population of 10 billion people a healthy diet within planetary boundaries by 2050? Allison Righter, MSPH, RDN, will cover the latest research as well as consumer and industry food trends that are driving changes towards a healthier and more sustainable food future.

Allison Righter is an Assistant Professor in the School of Culinary Science and Nutrition at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where she teaches Nutrition, Food Safety, Food Systems and Public Health courses.

More information>>

 

---

Program Canceled.   See below information on this topic.

New York City Culture in the
Jazz Age

Susan Ingalls Lewis Ph.D.,

Professor Emerita, Department of History at SUNY New Paltz, was scheduled as our presenter on May 14th.  Due to the coronavirus this presentation had to be canceled.  We hope to reschedule for next year.  Dr. Lewis has sent links to the following blog entries that she feels "might be of interest to your members.  They are not about the 1920s, but they are about women in NYS":

 

Women Win the Right to Vote in New York State | New York Rediscovered>>
 

Matilda Joslyn Gage | New York Rediscovered>>
 

The Mystery of Emma Waite | New York Rediscovered>>
 

---

Poughkeepsie AAUW
Year 2018-19 in Review

President's Report 2018-19>>

Diane Jablonski

 

The events of 2018-19>>

Taken from the pages of our newsletter The Branch
 

---

---

Recent Events

---

---

Equal Pay Day Get-together

Poughkeepsie held its first online meeting on March 31.  Members who participated were very pleased.  More such meetings are in the planning stage.  Connect Diane Jablonski with suggestions and interests.

Additional Information>>

Equal Pay Day is the date when women's earnings match those of men from the prior year.  Once again AAUW and the Women's Professional Network worked with the Dutchess County Legislature to declare March 31, 2020 as Equal Pay Day. The proclamation was declared on March 9, 2020.  Full text here>>
 

---

 

A Long & Winding Road: the Local Path to Women’s Suffrage
on its 100th Anniversary

Bill Jeffway, Executive Director, Dutchess County Historical Society

Melodye Moore, Head of Collections, Trustee, Dutchess County Historical Society

Top: Lucretia Mott, one of the five organizers of the Seneca Falls convention in 1848 was a student and teacher at the Nine Partners Boarding School in what is today Millbrook.  Bottom: Vassar College faculty were not allowed to publicly advocate for women's suffrage until after 1910.  The leader of the Equal Suffrage League who did emerge at that time was Vassar Professor Laura J. Wylie. 

This program was canceled due to caution concerning the coronavirus.  Please read Mr Jeffway's article for information on the topic.

More Information>>
 

The following link will lead you to an article by Bill Jeffway will give you an overview of this journey to voter rights for women. 

The Local Path to 1920 “Votes for Women” by Bill Jeffway>>
 

 

---

Asylum and the Role of Counsel

February 13, 2020

Speaker: Rob Horne

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Poughkeepsie

Managing Attorney, Regional Immigration Assistance Center 4 Hudson Valley Region

The perilous situation of asylum seekers at the border and of non-documented and other non-citizens living in the US has filled the news and often the headlines.

Rob Horne addressed the fundamentals of an asylum application and the role of counsel, current issues in asylum law and at the border; consequences of criminal convictions and resources available to non-citizens charged with crimes.  We learned more about what is actually happening and how the situation can be addressed.

More information>>
 

---

Extending Hospitality to 21st-Century
Students at DCC

 On January 9, 2020, Marti Madory, chair of the  Poughkeepsie AAUW International-Diversity Committee, arranged an outstanding program which brought together Marcia Butland, Assistant Dean, Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability at Dutchess Community College,and the Poughkeepsie-Oaxaca Friendship Committee.  

With the demographic changes in today’s student population, Marcia’s talk explained the DCC’s efforts to respond to these shifts. This thoughtful look at DCC’s experience also helped to illustrate the need and opportunity to establish a community-wide Hospitality Resource to welcome the area’s minority and international residents and visitors

In addition Blanca Calderon, Joyette Walton, and Franky Perez
gave an enthusiastic report on their days in Oaxaca and the wonderful people and students they met.

AAUW member Ellie Charwat, who chairs the Friendship Committee, recently spoke to the Wappingers Rotary Club on the subject, and has written an article about it for the Fall 2019 Road Scholar Alumni Magazine (Here>>).  The Friendship Committee hopes to organize a reciprocal trip in 2021 in which Mexican teachers visit Dutchess County schools.

More Information>>
 

---

Grace Smith House:
An Open Door for
Victims of Domestic Violence
History, Programs and Services
 

  Branka Bryan                          Marjorie Smith

On December 12, 2019, AAUW members donated an amazing pile of gifts to the women at Grace Smith House.  The members were then treated to a summary of the critical services and programs that it offers in our area by recently appointed Executive Director Branka Bryan, PsyD.  Grace Smith House Board member, Marjorie J. Smith, JD spoke about the problems the families and some of the history of the organization.  Many questions were asked and answered.

Additional Information on Program and Speakers>>
 

---

Hiking & Picking: Experiencing the Music & Terrain of the Appalachians
 

On November 14 at the
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, we were entertained and informed about the Appalachian trail.  Rich Keyes (left) showed slides and gave commentary on the nearly 800 miles of the trail he has traveled and he joined Carole and Kevin    Becker (middle and right) to play music of the region.  This program was presented in conjunction with the "Big Read."

More information>>
 

---

November 2, 2010

Video & Pictures of the Day>>
 

---

Poughkeepsie AAUW
Woman of the Year 2019

Hon. Joan S. Posner

 

Dutchess County
Family Court Judge

Acting Supreme
Court Justice
Retired

October 27, 2019, an afternoon of celebration for an outstanding woman!

Complete Biography>>
 

---

Gender Bias in Healthcare:
A Long History

On October 10, 2019 at Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie , Christie VanHorne, presented a program that left all with much to think about and a plan to obtain better health care.

Christie started with our sharing both our good and bad experiences with doctors.  She gave a brief history of diagnosis - if missed diagnosis was a disease  it would be the third largest cause of death. Many women have been dismissed as being hysterical (we can thank Fraud for this).  She shared many other stories ending with reminding us that  racial disparities and marginalized people experience far greater discrimination in medical care - it is a racial problem.                  

What can we do when we have a doctor's appointment:

Remember first of all you are the expert on you. 

- Think what questions you have - you have at most 15 minutes.

- Have a 20 second elevator complaint

- How has you complaint impacted your life - what does it prevent you from doing - be specific

- Have questions ready - prioritize your questions in case you only have time for a few.

- Never get angry

- Elaborate on yes and no questions the doctor asks.

More program information>>
 

---

Open House/Reunion

On Thursday, September 12 at Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church, AAUW gathered for their annual Open House/ Reunion to introduce the program for the year.  This included the monthly programs, interest groups and initiatives.  Current members were welcomed back and prospective members were welcomed to the organization.  This was a new meeting venue for AAUW and was found to be most effective.
 

---

POUGHKEEPSIE AAUW ANNUAL MEETING & INSTALLATION DINNER 2019
 

Speakers

At the June 13th meeting fun pictures were taken, AAUW members and friends chatted and met new people, elections were held, officers installed and members honored.  That was all before the program started with the recipients of the Irene Keyes Scholarship speaking about their trip to the NCCWSL conference.  The final part of the evening was a talk by Sabrina Marzouka, "Improving the Lives of Women and Children."  We were told to "open our briefcase of talent and change the world."  Sabrina closed with a quote she has on her office door by Angela Davis "I am no longer accepting the thing I cannot change. I am changing the things I can not accept."  It was a wonderful evening, enjoyed by all.

Additional information>>

Committee: Sharon Fleury, Diane Jablonski, Joan Kimmel & Ann Pinna

---

Goldee Greene, Vocal Artist

Tom McCoy, Music Director

Diverse Divas in Opera, Jazz & Musical

May 9, 2019 AAUW  had a true musical experience.  Goldee Greene charmed us with excerpts by opera divas such as Cleopatra, Tosca and Delilah as well as real-life prima donna’s like Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Mae West and Marlene Dietrich.

Many genres express the laughter, love, struggles and empowerment of women through the ages - from Puccini to Duke Ellington.  In collaboration with world-class pianist and arranger Tom McCoy, we were treated to  a stirring, wheels-within-wheels evening of songs and piano solo (from Ellington).

More program information>>

Sabashnee Govender introduced her co-chair, Judy Longacre and once again AAUW members were most generous with donations for Days for Girls>> .