On March 7th, the Northwest Film Forum and Seattle Central’s College Activities Board co-hosted an event entitled “Womxn’s Future” in the Erickson Theatre. This is the second of NWFF and CAB’s “Future/Community Conversations” series, the first being “Black Future.”
The event featured a diverse group of panelists. Creative instigator for social change Sadiqua Iman; Undocumented Student Support Navigator Tanya Medina Hernandez; public relations specialist and social justice advocate Kalie Sandstrom; activist and award-winning journalist Varsha Khan; and mother, activist, community organizer, and Professor of Art History Melanie King all spoke. The conversation focused on the position of women in the current political and social system, also discussing how our community could significantly resolve issues that women face today.
The discussion went very smoothly until the Q&A portion of the panel, when audience members could come up and ask questions of the panelists. Unexpectedly, a woman came up to the mic and began espousing her own opposing views rather than asking any questions. She and the panelists went back and forth for a while, and when they failed to find common ground she walked out.
The conversation came to a frank conclusion: the future of women can be bettered through even the smallest of direct and open actions, but it’s therefore crucial to be conscious of one’s own behaviors and to be aware of how they are affecting the women around oneself. The panelists especially supported creating spaces specifically for women, working to intersectionalize feminism, and collectively rather than individually fighting for the cause. The key takeaway from the event was that it’s always important to question who holds the power in the system and how they maintain it. Education and working together are the two best methods of bucking those in power and equalizing society.
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