As educators, women have played a leading role in shaping the minds of the youth of our nation. For some, teaching has led to even larger leadership roles in government, including elected office. In honor of Women’s History Month, join us in conversation with teacher and Hawaiʻi’s First Lady, Dawn Ige, and third generation retired schoolteacher, Pilialoha Lee Loy, to reflect on the impact of some of the earliest elected and influential women in Hawaiʻi’s political and educational arenas. Featuring oral histories from Congresswoman Patricia Saiki, county and state lawmaker Helene Hale, and educator Marion Lee Loy, this program will explore what inspired these women to emerge as community leaders in pursuit of their policy goals and how education served as a tool for women to empower and engage our communities. This event was organized in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Center for Oral History (in celebration of the Department of Ethnic Studies’ 50th Anniversary), the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center, and the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities as part of the Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation initiative. In conjunction with our virtual public events, you can listen to the Weaving Voices Podcast, which intertwines oral history voices, recorded by the Center for Oral History, with special guests featured live on Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s “The Conversation.” A version of Weaving Voices: Visionary Women in Politics and Education aired on Hawaiʻi Public Radio on Tuesday, March 2, 2021: https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/pos… Weaving Voices: Connecting Communities through Hawai‘i Life Stories A series of public events exploring communities in transition by weaving together voices from oral history recordings together with voices from today. In this powerful shared space, we listen, remember, laugh, cry, and carry forward lessons of resilience and ingenuity, connecting past, present, and futures. Previous Weaving Voices podcasts can be found on the Center for Oral History website. The original oral history recordings are stored in the Hawaiian Collection at Hamilton Library, UHM. Why It Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation The Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation is administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Why It Matters programs in Hawaiʻi are created in partnership with the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center, the Civic Education Council, Kāhuli Leo Leʻa, Chaminade History Center, the Center for Oral History at UH Mānoa, and others. Why It Matters aims to create spaces for true exchange and listening across our different viewpoints that will lead to continued productive discussion. The opinions expressed here do not represent those of Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, Federation of State Humanities Councils, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Panel Discussion, Women Leaders, Hawai'i Council for the Humanities
