Easthampton City Councilor At-Large Tara Smith discusses bid at Westfield State

WESTFIELD, Mass., March 3, 2014- Westfield State University’s recognition of “Month Celebrating Women” continues with Dr. Tara Smith’s lecture “The Role of the Public Intellectual: Engaging with Race, Class, and Gender in the City Council” on Wednesday, March 5 at 5:00 p.m. in Wilson Savignano Auditorium –A.
Easthampton resident Dr. Tara Smith currently serves as a City Councilor At-Large.  Smith will discuss her experience running for this position where she had to negotiate gender, educational biases, race, and class in her bid for election. Smith will discuss how her bid for City Councilor At-Large turned a personal trouble into a public issue and how engaging in politics at the local level has allowed her to use her sociological skills for structural change.
For nearly 30 years, Westfield State has held events dedicated towards awareness and celebration of women’s rights and issues involving women globally. What started off as a weeklong celebration organized around National Women’s Day (March 8th) is now a month-long tribute complete with plays, guest speakers, panel discussions, and movie screenings. The month is organized by a board of faculty members led by Professor Margot Hennessey, chair of the ethnic and gender studies department.
All of the Westfield State “Month Celebrating Women” events are free and open to the public.  For more information, contact Ron’na Lytle at 572-5573 or Shoba Rajgopal at 572-5397.