Board of Directors Develops Statement
about Feminism
In extended discussions over a series of meetings, Board members shared their feminist values. They talked about how those values inform their vision and how KFW can help artists and activists make Kentucky a beacon of feminism for our region, our country, and women all over the world. At the meeting on June 28, 2006, Board members crafted the following statement about their collective vision of the transformative powers of feminism.
Feminism is a conceptual framework based on a radical transformation of society and self. Feminism challenges socially and politically defined gender roles and fosters greater opportunity, choice, and independence. Feminism creates economic equality, a violence-free society, and racial and ethnic justice. Feminism is an evolving process, which requires courage and advocacy.
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Gail Burrus Martin Receives
2007 KFW Sallie Bingham Award
By Judi Jennings, KFW Executive Director
Gail Burrus Martin was born in Franklin, Kentucky, and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, after her family moved there. She graduated from Wilberforce University in Ohio. After graduation, she became a social worker and then moved on to the advertising department of the Dayton Daily News.
Gail came to Kentucky when she married Cornelius Martin, and they moved to Bowling Green, There, Gail worked as a full-time homemaker and mother following the births of their three children, Chad, Amber, and Coleman.
Gail is dedicated to education and the arts, and she has long been a respected community volunteer and activist on behalf of women. She served on the boards of the Western Kentucky University Foundation, the Capital Arts Foundation, the Hobson House (historic home) --to name just a few.
Gail became the first chair of the Women’s Studies Fundraising Council at Western Kentucky University. She and her husband Cornelius endowed the Gail Martin Faculty Development and Lecture Series, which provides travel and research opportunities to faculty, supports guest speakers, and funds the genderations colloquia luncheon series.
Gail joined the Board of the Kentucky Foundation for Women in September 2001, and has been an active leader ever since. She is the first Board member in my tenure as Executive Director (since 1998) to be elected to two consecutive three-year terms. Not only has she served KFW for six years, she led the Board as Chair for the last three years.
KFW would not be the strong and vibrant organization it is today without the hard work, dedication, intelligence, and creativity of Gail Burrus Martin. She participated as an active Board member during six, sometimes very tough, years of challenge, change, and growth. During these six years, Gail consistently demonstrated the highest integrity, the courage to deal with difficult issues, and an unwavering commitment to social justice. Gail taught me, as Executive Director, the value of having a strong and independent Board Chair. Personally, I am proud to describe her as a dear and valued friend as well as the Chairwoman of the KFW Board.
In closing, I must mention that following the tragic death of her husband last year, Gail grieved deeply but stayed on to complete her term as KFW Board Chair. Gail is a woman of strength and integrity. I am proud and happy to announce that Gail Burrus Martin is the recipient of KFW’s 2007 Sallie Bingham Award for outstanding leadership in women and the arts in Kentucky.
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