Connecting Generations through Dance

How do you get young women involved in social movements?

This is the question Jan Koellen, co-president of the AAUW Baton Rouge (LA) Branch, battled with as she tried to find a way to engage local students. She believes younger women hold the key to success with issues such as pay equity or getting the Equal Rights Amendment ratified in Louisiana. When she attended college, Koellen wished she had known some older women to learn from and to help her get involved in activism, and this is a gap that AAUW branch members and leaders can fill for women at colleges and universities all across the country. Connecting women students to AAUW members who have experience fighting for their rights will show young women that they have a community of strong mentors available to them.

Last month, Koellen put this idea to the test. After hearing about AAUW’s Equal Pay Day event in April, the Baton Rouge Branch and Louisiana State University teamed up to create a Women’s Equality Day flash mob. The entertaining and lighthearted approach was exactly what Koellen wanted to catch students’ attention. With sponsorship from LSU’s Women’s Center, they organized a flash mob on August 26—the 91st anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote.

Students and AAUW branch members caused a small scene as they danced together to Beyoncé Knowles and Aretha Franklin to spread the message that young women should be active, vote, and be involved in women’s equality. They also handed out informational brochures, spoke with interested students, and created an AAUW presence on campus. Even a small number of women can make a big difference for students who want to be involved.

Watch the video below to see the flash mob and hear from participants.

This post was written by AAUW College/University Relationships Intern Vanessa Wolbrink.