The pressures Black women face in striving to achieve greatness in their endeavors will be explored in an MTSU lecture.

Natonya Listach, a senior instructor and assistant director of forensics in the Department of Communication Studies, will present “Winning Is Never Enough: Womanism, Black Girl Magic and the Pursuit of Perfection” at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, in Room 100C of the James Union Building.

Natonya Listach

Those who wish to attend remotely by video conference may go to https://tinyurl.com/jd2afpp3. The meeting ID is 830 7380 2959. The passcode is 539500.

Listach said the discussion will explore various incidents in sports, music and politics to give participants a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the concept of #BlackGirlMagic through the lens of womanism.

“The popular hashtag #BlackGirlMagic is a double-edged sword,” Listach said. “While we know Black women can achieve amazing feats while facing impossible odds, we also know that Black women are human and deal with the same issues, problems and setbacks as everyone else.

“Oftentimes, this pursuit of perfection leaves Black women mentally and physically exhausted. As we’ve seen through the most recent example of (gymnast) Simone Biles and the ‘twisties’ during the Olympics, Black women are fighting back against the damaging effects of achieving perfection, no matter the cost.”

The presentation is part of MTSU’s Women’s and Gender Studies Research Lecture Series, which is presented each academic year to give voice to a wide range of feminist perspectives from MTSU faculty and students at informal gatherings.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at 615-898-5910 or womenstu@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)