Philosophy Professor Tina Botts kicks off Women’s Studies Lunchtime Talks

~ Photo of Dr. Tina Botts, taken by Khone Saysamongdy/Courtesy of The Collegian

~ By Tom Uribes, Reprinted from FresnoStateNews.com

Dr. Tina Botts, assistant professor of Philosophy at Fresno State will discuss “In Black and White: A Hermeneutic Argument against Transracialism,” kicking off theannual Women’s Studies Lunchtime Talks, part of the Women’s History Month observation at Fresno State.

Botts’ lecture will be at 12:30 p.m. today (March 9) in Henry Madden Library 2206. She will discuss transracialism – the degree to which a particular social identity is externally or internally derived. She will dialogue on the possibility of feeling like one gender internally, while having external characteristics others associated with being another gender.

“The same is not true for black or white racial identity,” Botts said. “While transgenderism is possible, transracialism is not.”

Remaining lectures in the Women’s Studies lecture series this month (all from 12:30- 2 p.m. in Henry Madden Library 2206) include:

• Monday, March 13 – “Police Use of Deadly Force: The Female Experience.”
• Wednesday, March 15 – “Hope and Justice: Reflections on 20 years Teaching in Women’s Studies.”
• Thursday, March 23 – “Surplus Populations and Humanitarian Governance: To serve the Nation.”
• Wednesday, March 29 – Dr. Cristina Herrera, Chicano and Latin American Studies, and Dr. Larissa Mercado- Lopez, Women’s Studies, will celebrate the launch of their new edited volume, “(Re)mapping the Latina/o Literary Landscape.”
• Thursday, March 30 – “Raging Against Patriarchy: The Weatherwomen at the Days of Rage.”

The College of Social Sciences at Fresno State also observed A Day Without a Woman yesterday with information booths all day in the newly-renovated quad on Campus Drive as part of International Women’s Day.

Also, the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will observe International Women’s Day with the Women’s Tech Conference March 19 (details to come).

For more information about the Women’s Studies Talks, contact Dr. Janet Slagter at janetsl@csufresno.edu or 559.278.7140 or Lucero Benitez at lbenitez@csufresno.edu.