Sloss Center hosts small talk for changes

Since+1980%2C+the+Margaret+Sloss+Center+for+Women+and+Gender+Equity+has+been+fostering+gender+equity+at+Iowa+State.

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Since 1980, the Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity has been fostering gender equity at Iowa State.

Ashlyn Ware

The Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity is hosting its third Feminist Friday event of the semester to open discussion about feminist topics. Zakariyah Hill, executive director and co-founder of The Supply Hive, will give her “Water Your Community” lecture Friday, March 11.

The online lecture and discussion start at 1 p.m. The Zoom link is sent the morning of the event to Feminist Friday online mailing list recipients. To register, sign up here.

Hill is an alumna of Iowa State. She received her bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems. Before graduating, Hill was already making a name for herself.

In 2020, Hill founded The Supply Hive, a non-profit organization that brings nourishment to communities in challenging times.

According to an alumna spotlight article, Hill got the idea for The Supply Hive when she noticed protestors at a Black Lives Matter protest didn’t have any water. Hence the title of her lecture, “Water Your Community.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, Hill has continued to expand The Supply Hive and triple the budget.

The alumni spotlight article describes Hill as “a humanitarian and a one-of-a-kind individual.” Hill will share her experience as an entrepreneur and how she’s impacted her community.

Community impact is fundamental to feminism.

According to their website, the Sloss Center defines feminism as “a movement which aims to ensure that people of all genders have access to what they need to be successful, as well their need for community.”

The Sloss Center works to create an environment that allows individuals of all backgrounds and identities to succeed. The center hosts events and programs such as Feminist Fridays to foster a welcoming environment and create a safe space for all folks on campus.

Three Feminist Fridays remain this semester:

  • March 25 Dr. Denise Williams-Lotz’s “From Bodice Ripping toward Shredding the Patriarchy: Romance Novels, Feminism and the Power of Happily Ever After”

  • April 8 Daphne Brewer’s “Plant Horror and the Gendered Order of Things: Feminism, Mobility and the Environment”

  • April 22 Feminist Panel “Special Topics in Eco-Feminism.

For more information about the Sloss Center and upcoming events, visit their website.