Event Attendance Response

Event Response Assignment:

International Women’s Day at the YWCA

Kelsie McGee

For the second event of the semester, I chose to attend the International Women’s Day celebration at the local YWCA in High Point. There were a wide array of cultures, traditions, and forms of art that were packed together in one small room, immediately upon entering you could hear the sounds of latin music, enjoy smells from food that was prepared from recipes around the world and listen to good conversation happening all around. There were several different beautiful performances that occurred throughout the celebration, all paying homage to their respective culture 

There were a few particular moments throughout the night that really sparked my attention, one of my favorites being the wonderful traditional dishes that were prepared from the Indian, Latin American, and African cultures. I thought the authentic food really brought the entire experience full circle from the music, to the performances. Another small aspect of the event that I found interesting were the amazing Native American jewelries that had been handmade, each piece of jewelry was unique and authentic to the Native American culture. However, my favorite part of the night by far were the performances by the groups of girls, my favorite two being the Vinmark International Dancers and the Mexican Folklore performances. The Vinmark group’s catchphrase is “embracing diversity through dance” and I could really feel that throughout their performance. The most memorable part of the Mexican Folklore dance were the beautiful traditional dresses, hairstyles and makeup, it was really amazing to experience the Mexican culture in a genuine atmosphere.

Considering we have been discussing women and the roles they play in their cultures from around the world, I saw many different aspects that related back to what we have been learning in the course. After reading the novel “Under the Udala Trees” in class, the story about a young girl, feeling oppressed and growing up in Nigeria, watching the documentary of the girls in India, and reading the segment from “The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”, it made me reflect on the importance that women here in the United States embrace their cultures and feel accepted with open arms by those around them. We have seen how women around the world can be treated very poorly for expressing themselves, so I felt it was awesome these women could share their culture in such a modern, open way.

For me, the biggest takeaway from attending this event ties in perfectly with their slogan of  “An equal world is an enabled world”. When we all have the same opportunities for success as women all around the world, we can find the ability to help one another rise up and build to be the best version of themselves, free of oppression. There were many types of diverse people, including men, all attending this event for the same purpose; to eliminate racism and empower women around the world. This experience really inspired me to keep advocating and gave me hope to see a brighter future with individuals who really do have societies best interest at hand, fighting in efforts to see a truly equal and enabled world.