(Posted September 24, 2012)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- In our current political arena, the issue of women's rights has become a heated debate topic for our presidential candidates and news media. One woman, Loretta Ross, who has continued to press for the advancement of women's rights through the improvement of tolerance will give a lecture at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3, in Sill Board Room of von Liebig Center for Science on the Juniata campus.

This event is part of Juniata College's Beyond Tolerance series. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Ross is well respected in the human rights and women rights community, and was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and the Food and Drug Administration on women's health and human rights issues. She has served eight years on the Washington D.C. Commission for Women.

In 1980, she co-organized the first national conference on Violence Against Third-World Women in 1980. Ross served as the Director of Women of Color Programs for the National Organization for Women between 1985 and 1989. Ross also organized the first national conference on Women of Color and Reproductive Rights in 1987.

In 1997, Ross founded the Sister Song Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, a network of 80 grassroots agencies throughout the United States that support women of color in accessing health services, information, and culturally appropriate resources. In 2004, Ross was National Co-Director of the March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C., which is said to be the largest protest march in U.S. history.

Among other published accomplishments, Ross is co-author, with three others, of the book "Beyond the Politics of Inclusion: Women of Color in the Reproductive Rights Movement" (2004). Ross has appeared on CNN, BET, "Lead Story," "Good Morning America" and "The Donahue Show," and "The Charlie Rose Show."

Ross received a bachelor's degree in women's studies from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ga., and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from Arcadia University.

By Erin Kreischer

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.