Today, we are highlighting Refuse the Silence, a fantastic project from Morgane Richardson- a brilliant young feminist.

University of Venus is honored and thrilled to be able to feature a post from Morgane next week.

In the meantime,  watch an amazingly powerful video here:

Refuse The Silence Speaks with Kathleen Lee Carter from Morgane Richardson on Vimeo.

Kathleen Lee Carter is a Sophomore student at Middlebury College in Vermont, USA. In this video, she shares her experiences as a Woman of Color attending an elite liberal arts college. Kathleen’s story reminds us of why we do what we do and why it is crucial that we hear the voices of all of our students.

Please share this post and the Call for Submissions below – thanks – Mary.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

«Refuse the Silence» is a project that encourages women of color currently enrolled in elite liberal arts colleges in the United States to share their stories.  Being a woman of color myself and having attended Middlebury College from 2004 to 2008, my hope is to present these stories, in the form of a book, to college administrators with a suggested plan of action to improve the college climate for women of color.

I am looking for vivid and honest personal stories and essays about the experiences of women of color in elite liberal arts colleges throughout the United States.

I am looking to attract submissions that reflect experiences, friendships and realizations made during the college years. Themes to consider include but are not limited to,

• identity
• socioeconomic, cultural, racial issues
• classroom dynamics
• turning points
• depression
• challenging moments
• friendships
• dating
• student/professor dynamics
• sex, sexuality

Contributions will be accepted in the form of a poem, letter, journal entry, personal reflection and/or essay. Entries should not exceed ten pages. Your submisions will be cautiously edited for grammar and comprehensibility. Unfortunately, I will not be able to include everyone’s submissions. Priority will be given to those who submit their work before the September 1st, 2010 deadline.

I hope that you will use your voice and share your story with me. Let us refuse the silence and show the world who we are, who we are becoming, and how we can help others.

I invite you to share this information with your friends, family members, and classmates so that we can have as many voices possible involved in this important discussion in our communities.

Sincerely,

Morgane Veronique Richardson
http://www.refusethesilence.com

refusethesilence@gmail.com

http://www.twitter.com/refusesilence

HOW TO SEND YOUR SUBMISSIONS

Eligibility

1. Must be a self-identified woman of color currently attending a liberal arts college in the United States
2. Must be a second semester freshman, sophomore, junior or senior

Along with your submissions, please include:

• a brief biography (2 – 3 sentences) with your first name and last name (last name optional)
• a photograph of yourself
• ethnicity
• age
• where you are from
• what college you attend

Also, please include a list of suggested areas of action that, you believe, will better the liberal arts college environment for women of color.

Send your electronic submissions to: refusethesilence@gmail.com

Deadline: September 1, 2010

Note: By sending in your submissions you are giving permission to distribute and publish your work. If you have any specific requests regarding your submissions and the way that it should be distributed/published, please include a note and I guarantee that your requests will be honored.