More than 300 students, staff, faculty and community members gathered yesterday on campus to celebrate the 15th annual Women of Color Day.
In previous years, the celebration consisted of only a two-hour ceremony. But this time, the celebration lasted all day and featured a variety of programs.
The day centered around the Women of Color Scholars Awards ceremony in Irvine Auditorium, which was attended by Mayor John Street, City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, City Secretary Augusta Clark and University President Judith Rodin.
Other events -- all held in Houston Hall -- included an art exhibit, vendor fair, luncheon, book signing and a resource and information fair on health, finance and real estate.
"We wanted to make sure we opened it up to expose the community to our organization," said Women of Color Committee Chairwoman Donna Brown, a Penn staff member. "It's a nice way to recognize the contributions our sisters make to Penn and the Penn community."
The Women of Color Committee is an organization made up of volunteers from the University and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The committee plans Women of Color Day events and raises money for its annual awards.
The awards recognize female students of color at Penn who demonstrate high academic achievement and motivation.
As he has done each of the last several years in early March, which is Women's History Month, Street proclaimed yesterday Women of Color Day for the entire city.
At the awards ceremony, Penn alumna and physician Susan Taylor presented $1,000 achievement awards to Wharton and Engineering junior Anna Yen, School of Social Work graduate student Tia Jackson and part-time Wharton student Felicia Cribb.
The ceremony also honored College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs and Advising Janice Curington, Education graduate student Angela Reyes and Wharton junior Sabrina Harvey. Five students from Philadelphia area high schools were presented with savings bonds.
Brown said that while the number of participants this year has decreased slightly from past years -- because of the celebration's relocation from the Penn Tower Hotel to Perelman Quadrangle -- yesterday's events, nevertheless, reached a wide range of people.
Hamilton College House staff member Barbara Heard had never been to Women of Color Day before yesterday afternoon.
"This is my first year attending," Heard said, explaining that her work hours had prevented her from attending the day's earlier events. "Next year, I'm going to take the whole day off so I don't miss anything."
Heard attended the luncheon -- which the committee decided to have catered by minority women, Brown noted.
"It was nice to see the diversity of the women there," Heard said. "And the men, too."
During the luncheon, author Karen Miller read an excerpt from I'm Telling!, her upcoming novel which will be released in August.
"I got a lot of positive feedback," Miller said, as she scribbled her signature and a note inside a fan's copy of her novel Satin Doll.
After eating, many participants trickled into the arts show and vendor fair, but they were not the only ones who perused the artisans' wares. The event also caught the eyes of many people who were simply passing through.
College freshman Roz Plotzker stumbled upon the festivities on her way to the ATM inside Houston Hall.
"I saw a sign for it, so I thought I'd check it out," Plotzker said.
Sale items ranged from brightly colored scarves and elaborate cosmetics to paintings and sculptures, and Brown said that the committee also made the effort to attract vendors and artists of minority descent.
"There's mainstream stuff, but also some African and Native American artwork," Plotzker said. "It's a neat balance."
When asked if next year's Women of Color Day committee would decide to feature a day-long series of programs or return to the traditional two-hour event, Brown deferred that decision.
"We'll let the next chair decide," Brown said.
