“She Is” 2020–an annual event honoring women
Professor Candice Lowe-Swift
“Instead of giving light to one, let’s be mindful not to lose the room for everyone. Collectively and independently, we can be more than the sum of all parts.” This was one of the messages our honoree, Professor Candice Lowe Swift, Professor of Anthropology and Director of Engaged Pluralism Initiative at Vassar, conveyed during her speech at the 2020 She Is, and this was exactly how I felt when I walked into the Villard Room last Thursday. All members in the Vassar Haiti Project have worked together to transform the room into a space filled with vibrant lights, artworks, music, and of course, engaged people and meaningful conversations.
This year’s She Is was different from the ones from previous years. With the goal to celebrate women all over the world, it was not only a night full of beautiful decorations, performances, and food, but it was also lit up by storytelling and collective sharing around the theme of peace. The night was started by our emcees, Grace Roebuck ’20 and Sabrina Perry ‘20, introducing the program, and a band performance by The Post Soviets. They performed two Russian songs, “Forgive Me My Love” and “Sister”, all featuring women and empowering them during hard times of their lives. Their beautiful singing and perfect instrumental accompaniment created a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone.
Then, Professor Candice gave an inspiring speech about how powerful and indispensable “dependency” is for women. It was surprising to me because I have always been educated to become an independent person and have considered dependency as a negative characteristic. But nothing can be achieved without trust and collaboration with others.
The speech was followed by a touching and powerful video made by Walter Mwaniki ’22, which depicted the faces and daily lives of the women in Chermaitre, Haiti, overlapping with VHP members’ voices saying “She is (strong/tenacious/determined/loving/caring).” This message corresponds to the theme of honoring and empowering women. This year we also included table discussions in the program, during which we reflected on the messages conveyed at the event and shared our experiences with women in our lives and thoughts on women’s role in promoting peace.
I remember mentioning how people usually take peace for granted while not thinking about the efforts taken to maintain it. During wars or revolutions, women play a significant (but often neglected) role of spreading information, finding and providing food and so on. In everyday life, many women need to work, cook, and take care of the family all at the same time.
The night ended with two wonderful acapella performances from UJIMA and Home Brewed. When the singing ended, no one wanted to leave. We have all become closer to the people sitting next to us; we have grown to be more confident and empowered by the multidimensional role that women play in the world, and we have spent a meaningful night together.
As Professor Candice said in her speech: “I believe in embracing the feminist principle of dependency, supporting each other, sharing knowledge instead of competing for the highest grade, and value conversations as much as we do debates, moving from the mindset of scarcity to one of abundance.” At the end of the event, we have come to believe in the value of this statement, so that when the night of She Is ends, and we all return back to our daily work, in school or the workplace, we can still keep this statement in mind and spread more love and support to this world.
Alice Fan ‘22
