Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

            One of America’s leading anti-sexist male activists, author, educator and filmmaker, Jackson Katz, will be speaking at Shawnee State University’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22 as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
            “Domestic violence is something that continues to plague our society, so we really can’t talk about it enough,” said Dr. Roberta Milliken, professor of English and Humanities and director of SSU’s Women’s Center. “Katz offers an interesting perspective because he looks at it as not primarily a ‘women’s issue,’ but one that directly involves men. In fact, he invites men to join with women to eradicate all forms of violence against women.”
           Before his appearance on campus, his popular documentary film, “Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity” will be shown at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13 followed by a panel discussion of the film featuring Dr. Timothy Scheurer, Dr. Thomas Piontek and Dr. Darren Harris-Fain.
            Katz argues that widespread violence in American society, including the tragic school shootings in Littleton, Colo., Jonesboro, Ark. and elsewhere, needs to be understood as part of an ongoing crisis in masculinity.
           “Katz is a wonderful speaker. He’s smart, entertaining and charismatic,” Milliken said. “I’m sure everyone who comes to the presentation will not leave disappointed.”
            Katz co-founded the Mentors in Violence Prevention program at Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of sport in society. The multi-racial, mixed gender MVP program was the first large-scale attempt to enlist high school, collegiate and professional athletes in the fight against all forms of men’s violence against women.
            His book, “The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How all Men Can Help,” was published in 2006 by Sourcebooks. Copies of his book will be available for purchase and signing after the lecture.
            The SSU Women’s Center is bringing Katz to Shawnee State as part of the 10th Annual Leslie Williams Symposium for the Advancement of Women and part of the Jane M.G. Foster Distinguished Lecture Series. The events are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (740) 351-3738.