Center for Women's Research & Public Policy

04/20/2023

The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi’s Legal Internship Program gives law students the opportunity to work with the organization’s Legal Team on a wide range of civil liberties issues. An affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Mississippi is a statewide organization whose office is located in Jackson, Mississippi. Its mission is to promote and defend individual civil liberties through education, advocacy, and litigation.

The legal intern will gain:
Exposure: Engage with the issues and the people at the forefront of today’s most impactful civil liberties and civil rights fights and victories.
Experience: Contribute to meaningful work in our legal department while developing substantive skills and professional experience.
Mentorship: Learn from ACLU employees on a range of topics through trainings and on-the-job learning.

04/20/2023

Political Associate Job Opening at Higher Heights for America
Higher Heights for America, a 501(c)(4), and its sister organization, Higher Heights Leadership Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization (Higher Heights) are the leading national organizations providing Black women with a political home exclusively dedicated to harnessing their power to expand Black women’s elected representation and voting participation and advance progressive policies.
Higher Heights was founded by Black women for Black women’s political growth and equity, with a winning plan for building collective political power and expanding Black women’s elected leadership. Higher Heights’ mission includes:

Investing in the next generation of political leaders.
Organizing and mobilizing the power of Black women voters through its campaign.
Creating an environment for Black women to vote, run, win, and lead, through online training, research, cultural-shifting communications work, and digital campaigns.
Higher Heights is comprised of two sister organizations working to create transformational change.

03/29/2023

Don’t miss your chance to apply for the 2023 NEW Leadership MS summer institute!

This Rutgers University-affiliated program is an intensive, six-day residential program during which participants: (1) engage with women in a variety of roles in government; (2) learn about campaigns & elections, policy-making and women's political participation; (3) explore ideas about leadership and receive mentorship from current leaders; and (4) participate in hands-on, skill-building exercises in political communication and policy research.

Applications are due Monday, April 17; the institute will take place June 4-9. Any undergraduate college student in or from Mississippi is eligible to apply.

Learn more and apply at muw.edu/newleadership

03/28/2023

Thursday,March 30

7:00 – 8:00 PM | Martha Swain Speaker Series Lecture
Come and hear Anastasia C. Curwood talk about the life and experiences of Shirley Chisholm, whose 1972 bid for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party made history and paved the way for further women’s political activism. Curwood is the author of the forthcoming biography, Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics (2023) and the author of Stormy Weather: Middle-Class African American Marriages between the Two World Wars. There will also be a book signing with Curwood at Friendly City Books from 3-4 PM.
Free and open to the public.
Friendly City Books, 118 N 5th St

03/28/2023

Thursday,March 30
3:00 – 4:00 PM | Martha Swain Speaker Series Book Signing
Meet author and historian Anastasia C. Curwood and get a signed copy of her new autobiography of Shirley Chisholm at Friendly City Books in downtown Columbus. Chisolm was a trailblazing politician and Black feminist, and Curwood will discuss her life and impact at 7PM on The W’s campus. In addition to her biography, Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics, Curwood is the author of Stormy Weather: Middle-Class African American Marriages between the Two World Wars.

Free and open to the public.
Friendly City Books, 118 N 5th St

03/28/2023

Today!! March 28
4 PM - 5:30 PM Suffragette Movie Night & Voter Registration
Join the History, Political Science, & Geography Club for a Women’s History Month-inspired movie night! Grab some snacks and settle in for Suffragette, which “movingly explores the passion and heartbreak of those who risked all they had for women’s right to vote – their jobs, their homes, their children, and even their lives.” (Focus Features 2015). After the film, stick around for voter registration & elections Q&A.

Free and open to the public.
Nissan Auditorium, Parkinson Hall

03/06/2023

March 8
All Day | Wear White & Purple for International Women’s Day

The suffragettes in both the US & the UK adopted white and purple as symbols of their movement; ever since, people have worn these colors as a sign of solidarity with the fight for gender equality. On International Women’s Day, show your support for women everywhere and remind others that this month is full of opportunities to learn more about and celebrate women’s achievements and to push for greater equity and appreciation for women’s contributions in the future.

03/06/2023

March 7
4:00 - 5:30 PM | Standing on My Sisters’ Shoulders Film Screening & Discussion
Join Fant Memorial Library for popcorn, a movie, and discussion as we celebrate black women’s activism in the Mississippi Civil Rights movement! Winner of Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival, this documentary explores the crucial grassroots activism of Black women whose names you may know (like Fannie Lou Hamer) and those you probably don’t (like Annie Devine) who risked physical danger and economic hardship to secure voting rights, integrate schools, and advance black political power in the state. After the movie, we’ll hear from local civil rights activists who are continuing the work of these amazing pioneers. This event is also the perfect introduction to the activism of Dr. Flonzie Brown Wright, who will give a lecture and lead campus in celebrating this year’s DEI Award winners on March 20.

Free and open to the public.
Tiered Classroom, Fant Library

10/22/2022

All NEW Leadership MS alumni are eligible to apply for a new PAID, mostly remote fellowship with the MS Senate! Applications are due Nov. 4. Learn more and apply at https://forms.gle/PHbvYmq6t8sTmCmb6

09/02/2022

Kudos to W alumna Kimberly Griffin for being named one of three finalists for the Institute for Nonprofit News' Emerging Leader award! Kimberly and her partners at Mississippi Free Press have trained our student interns, participated in panels and as guest speakers at MUW and MSMS events, and have participated in NEW Leadership Mississippi--sharing their experiences in political journalism with college women across our state--for the past two years. We know this recognition is well-deserved, and we are grateful to have such generous and talented women working to improve public discourse in Mississippi.

Deputy Editor Azia Wiggins and Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Kimberly Griffin are both nominated for national nonprofit-news awards.

05/20/2021

The Center for American Women in Progress has compiled 2020 public opinion data from the ANES, CES, and other high-quality surveys to map gender differences on issues spanning reproductive rights, race relations and criminal justice, the environment, national security, and more! Check it out!

Current Issues Domestic and International Force Social Welfare Reproductive Rights Equity Environmental Policy Gender differences in public opinion and policy attitudes have been a feature of American politics for many years. A gender difference is apparent in the way women and men respond to a vari...

04/30/2021

Amazingly fine-grained data coming out of the Center for American Women in Progress shows how far we have to go in Mississippi. Luckily, researchers are using this and related data to learn more about women's pathways to office so we can better recruit and sustain high-quality women leaders. Programs like NEW Leadership Mississippi are an important part of the equation, and we're so excited to welcome our 2021 class this June!