Penn Women’s Center Supports Black Girls Literacy Project
Sophia Parker looked at the array of photos of Black women in front of her, thinking carefully. The 16-year-old from North Philly picked up one
Founded in 1973, Penn Women's Center is one of the nation’s oldest women's centers. Our mission is to advance gender justice for the entire Penn community through an intersectional framework that embraces all identities. We achieve this by advocating, fostering community, facilitating learning, mentoring, and providing support.
The Penn Women’s Center was founded in April 1973 after protestors occupied College Hall for four days to protest a series of rapes on campus. We moved to our current location on Locust Walk in the early 1990s, following the “Diversify Locust Walk” movement that sought to make Penn safer for minorities and female students. For over 50 years, the center has been active in promoting the rights of women and gender-marginalized individuals on campus and beyond. We strive to include voices of gender, sexual, and racial minorities, acknowledging that feminism has historically been white and cis-centered. Come visit us to walk through a timeline of our history!
Voices of Change Project
Made as part of our 40th Anniversary Voices of Change Project, these voices celebrate our past and present. We hope it will inspire you to become part of our future.
Penn Women’s Center Director makes history as first Black woman to hold post
Sherisse Laud-Hammond is a modern-day pioneer at the University of Pennsylvania. She’s the first Black woman to lead the Penn Women’s Center, one of the oldest women’s centers in the country.