A vision, A Philosophy, A Duty, A Catalyst, A Haven of Hope, An Organization, WISE Mission, What we Do, WISE Founders, WISE Creation, WISE Testimonials, WISE Reports

A vision

Using our collective imagination we visualize and work to build a more peaceful and balanced world. We envision a world where all women are equally valuable and have access to the resources and opportunities necessary to make their dreams a reality. We envision a world where all women feel safe, loved, nurtured and appreciated whether in the cities, countries, suburbs or in their own families.

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A Philosophy

We believe that we are all connected, that what we do impacts others and what others do impacts us. We believe separation is an illusion. While our focus is broad and includes issues that impact all people, our concentration is on women because we believe that when women are empowered, children, men and transgendered, animals and indeed the planet benefit. The change we seek begins with each one of us.

A Duty

We believe we have a duty to build on the work and sacrifices of those who have come before us in the struggles for liberation. We also believe we have a duty to each other and future generations to work towards our vision of a more peaceful and balanced world. Therefore, we believe it is our duty to take responsibility and be held accountable for the world we make.

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A Catalyst

We believe that women, as the dominant nurturers of our world, while amazingly resilient, need restoration and regeneration to sustain the web of life for future generations.

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A Haven of Hope

In celebration of the inspiring genius of women, WISE helps ignite mass creativity and engagement.

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An Organization

Based out of Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville Alabama WISE members include students, faculty, staff and individuals from the community interested in bettering the lives of women. WISE members are engaged citizens from all backgrounds and fields of study that focus on solving problems faced by women. The group seeks to be diverse, holistic and multidisciplinary in its focus. Just as all of life is connected, so are all the issues that women face and therefore the solutions.

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WISE Mission

Once people realize that the problems women face have viable solutions or at least we have a good idea about where to head, it dramatically leverages pressure for change.

That is the vision that ignited us in 2005. Since then WISE has been dedicated to bringing these solutions and ideas to the public. The strain experienced by women today stems from human activity including the way we organize the work place, the wages of the jobs that women tend to cluster in, the ideas about appropriate gender expectations, and the over sexualized images of women in the media to name a few. Given that women are the backbones of our communities, it is not an exaggeration to say that the ability of our society to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. We must do something now to address the problems women face. To this end, the WISE mission is two fold:

We seek to inspire individuals to live in ways that respect the connection of all life, each other and future generations.

We seek to connect people with solutions by exposing individuals to ideas and practices that will create a more peaceful and balanced world.

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What we Do

Since 2005 WISE has been supporting and empowering women at JSU and in the surrounding area. Our programs include:

The WISE Legacy Scholarship

The Vagina Monologues

The Clothesline Project

WISEfest

WISEfest celebrates the accomplishments of diverse women by honoring the spirits of their journeys in an all day festival that features women's art, music, poetry, research and much more!

WISE Guys

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WISE Founders

Trace Fleming-Smith and Tina Deshotels founded WISE in 2005. The group arose from a need of those attending to discuss issues specific to women, to support women in all that they do, and to empower women to make the positive and necessary changes in our communities. At the first meeting those in attendance decided to base the group’s goals, programs and policies on the interests and issues expressed by the women attending. From the attendees, the number one issue identified was domestic violence and sexual assault. While WISE has branched out into other areas, that continues to be our major focus because it is the most serious problem faced by women in our area. As Eve Ensler says, “When you address the problem of violence against women, you must work your way back and address all the problems faced by women" (Until the Violence Stops). We share with Eve that vision and the goal of ending violence against women.

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WISE Creation

On November 2, 2005 at 12:00 P.M. on the 3rd floor of Brewer Hall at Jacksonville State University, a rumbling was heard. It was from these rumblings that Trace Fleming-Smith, Ann Callahan and Tina Deshotels founded WISE (Women’s Issues Support and Empowerment).

In the Spring of 06 WISE became an officially recognized student organization at Jacksonville State University. Erin Higgs as the first President established the tradition of hosting the clothesline project.

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WISE Testimonials

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Hello everyone! My name is Courtney and I am a proud WISE member. I attend Jacksonville State University with a major in Sociology and a minor in English. I started getting involved with WISE once I noticed how clueless I was about many women’s issues out there. Being naive I accepted the headlines of a woman getting less pay than a man, a woman having less promotional opportunities within a company than a man, and even more serious issues like a woman or young girl that is violently used or abused by a man as ‘just the way it is’. As I was introduced to WISE by one of my professors here at the university, Dr. Tina Deshotels, I realized by being so tunnel-visioned I was turning my back on my fellow sisters. So for that I am sorry, but I’m here now so let’s get started.

The very first WISE event I participated in was the Coastal Women Coming Home Project in April 2008. It took place at the Superdome and in downtown street areas of New Orleans, LA. In Oxford we boarded a bus that took us the whole way down to the Crescent City. Along the way we watched documentaries of women around the world sharing their stories and filmed play performances of Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues. The event shown light on Katrina and Rita victims coming back home and V-Day’s ten-year Anniversary. It drew crowds from all over the nation and had guests from all over the globe as we all celebrated in a breaking the silence parade and the performance of the Vagina Monologues with Eve, herself, and a celebrity cast from all parts of the entertainment business.

The reformation of the Superdome was inviting to all that shared the common purposes: breaking the silence, finding our inner beauty and being comfortable with who we are, being treated with respect and like Goddesses (the way we should be treated), and knowing everyone in attendance is supporting individuality (happy in the skin that they’re in). I’m grateful to have been accepted by WISE and am looking forward to progressing awareness and events this year. Hope to see you there!

WISE Reports

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