E. Connor

March is Women’s History Month, and  one student, Molaea-Rene Juanata Goodman is committed to commemorating it.

Goodman is a fourth-year Psychological and Social Sciences Major, a senior peer counselor, and Miss Black Pennsylvania 2023. She also runs Women of Color: Putting Ourselves First Support Group sessions once a week during common break (12:15-1:30) on Wednesdays. The purpose of these events is to uplift Women of Color by giving them an undivided space to work through the impacts of racism and misogyny, as well as promoting diversity and inclusion on campus.

“I wanted to start this group because I believe that Women of Color’s voices are often overshadowed or not given the proper acknowledgement, especially in white spaces,” Goodman explained in an interview about the support group. “I believe that as a peer counselor and a woman of color, it is my duty to help people who look similar to me and to also give them the safe space that they rightfully deserve.”

Jeff Hofer, M.Phil. Ed, a Licensed Professional Counselor at Abington, stated that the Women of Color Support Groups are “at the core of what makes Abington Abington,” and “the manifest of student leadership.”

In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment granted Black men the right to vote, but it wasn’t until the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919 that women gained the right to vote. Still, voting rights for Black women were often abridged by discriminatory practices until 1965, when the Voting Rights Act passed, banning some of the most common practices and obstacles that blocked Black women’s ability to vote at that time.

The importance of Goodman’s support groups lies in the concept of intersectionality: Black women cannot be defined as exclusively women, or exclusively Black. Misogynoir, a term coined by Black feminist writer Moya Bailey, refers to misogyny directed toward Black women in relation to both their race and their gender.

“I believe this group is important because it highlights three important issues: misogyny, misogynoir, and racism,” Goodman said. “These issues are often discussed… but the mental health and wellness of these groups that have been impacted by these issues are rarely acknowledged. This group is designed to be a safe space for women of color who may have not had the proper safe space in the past in regard to their mental wellbeing.”

You can attend these sessions in the Cloverly Building, in Room 106, during Common Break on Wednesdays. For additional information, contact Molaea-Rene Goodman and mjg6379@psu.edu.