“If you’re sick of me always talking about race, fix it. I’ve got other things I can do.”
– Damali Ayo

Speakers and participants at the “Women and Activism Conference: Everyday Activism” on Saturday discussed racism, sexism and homophobia and how those topics are important in today’s society.

Damali Ayo, a conceptual artist and the guest speaker, said in her keynote speech that the issue of race is always out in the open, and it’s something she has to cope with every day.

Ayo also discussed the discomfort many people have when she “plays the race card,” which reflected the criticism she often receives because of her emphasis on race.

Ayo led a discussion on “racial junk” in which participants discussed how society’s labels affect them. The discussion was centered on what people should “keep” and what should be “thrown away.”

Later in her speech, Ayo placed a large emphasis on race and other controversial topics, such as slavery reparations.

She also recounted her artwork and the message behind it. In one of her projects, she went to several stores and asked them to find a paint that matched the color of her skin, such as the skin on the palm of her hand or her face.

She also recounted how she came up with the idea of her book, titled, “How to Rent a Negro.”

The book took a satirical view of the prejudice Ayo faces on a daily basis, including how she charges people money to touch her hair, escorts people to parties so other people know they’re not prejudiced, meets a family member who’s prejudiced, and tells other black people they’re not prejudiced.

“If you’re sick of me always talking about race, fix it,” Ayo said. “I’ve got other things I can do.”

The Women and Activism Conference was designed to raise awareness and activism. The conference consisted several workshops and Ayo’s speech. The general goal was to get people more active and involved in the community.

The workshops included one in which participants built their own Barbie dolls, a dance session designed to relax and focus your body and mind and several discussion panels in which people shared their feelings and experiences on racism, sexism and society.

“It’s just a variety of different presentations that raise awareness,” said Victoria Pryor, one of the organizers.

One of the guests who led a discussion on race was State Rep. Tamara Grisby, an African American woman who shared many of her own stories and experiences of coping with prejudice.

“I hope that women can begin to understand that we are all different and that we all bring something of value to the table,” Grisby said.

The discussion was centered on different, often conflicting, opinions on race and how well different groups get along.

“It’s not a conversation people like to have,” Grisby said, “but we have to have it if we want to change some things.”

Some participants questioned why people at the conference discussed racism, sexism and homophobia instead of focusing on sexism.

Defenders said that feminism should be for the advancement of all, not just women, and that one can’t advocate the advancement of women and ignore other groups who also need advancement.

The conference was sponsored by the Union Sociocultural Programming, Women’s Resource Center, Department of Multicultural Affairs, Cultures and Communities Program Office, LGBT Resource Center, Center for 21st Century Studies, Department of Africology, College Feminists, Vox, SCOPE, Student Labor Action Coalition, and the Center for Women’s Studies.

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