GTCC Valiant Women of Strength Series Celebrates Women’s History Month

North Carolina Superior Court Judge Lora Cubbage will lead GTCC’s Valiant Women of Strength Series with a talk March 18 from noon to 1 p.m. in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN, N.C.  – Guilford Technical Community College will host a series of events in March to celebrate Women’s History Month and the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. A keynote lecture by North Carolina Superior Court Judge Lora Cubbage on March 18 will headline the Valiant Women of Strength series. The college’s Black Student Union will lead a book discussion on March 11 and a presentation outlining Voter ID law changes on March 25 will complete the schedule of events.

“The Valiant Women of Strength series grants us the opportunity to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of strong women in our past and embrace women who presently walk in their footsteps,” shared Rick Baker, Public Services Librarian at Guilford Technical Community College.

The series of events serves to increase awareness of women’s history. The college has partnered with You Can Vote, the North Carolina Court System and GTCC’s student life, English and Humanities departments to organize the events. The Valiant Women of Strength events are free and open to the public.

North Carolina Superior Court Judge Lora Cubbage: “My Road to the Judge’s Seat”

On March 18, N.C. Superior Court Judge Lora Cubbage will share her unconventional road to the bench in her talk, “My Road to the Judge’s Seat.” Her keynote will take place in the Applied Technologies Auditorium from noon to 1 p.m. on GTCC’s Jamestown campus.

Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, Judge Cubbage moved to Greensboro in 1992. She completed Winston-Salem Barber College, became a master barber and practiced her craft for over 17 years. At the same time, she earned a bachelor of science from North Carolina A&T State University and then went on to obtain her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

After earning her law degree, Cubbage joined the Guilford County District Attorney’s office and then served in the North Carolina Attorney General’s office as assistant attorney general. After six years, she ran in 2016 for the 18th Judicial District seat in Guilford County and won, defeating the incumbent. Two years later, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper appointed Lora to the Superior Court Judge’s Bench where she is the second African American female to occupy the seat. Judge Cubbage is currently running in the 2020 election for a seat on the N.C. Court of Appeals, the second highest-ranking court in the state.

Book Discussion, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”

As part of the series, the college’s Black Student Union will lead a discussion of the book, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” March 11 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Applied Technologies Auditorium on the Jamestown campus. The book chronicles the true story of Harriett A. Jacobs, a North Carolina slave who overcame a life of bondage to gain freedom, becoming an abolitionist and published author. 

You Can Vote: A Review of Voter ID Law Changes and the Importance of Voting Locally

Members of the community are encouraged to attend this program to learn about new voter ID law changes and the vital importance of voting locally. The presentation will take place March 25 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Applied Technologies Auditorium on GTCC’s Jamestown campus.

The program will also include a short presentation on the 19th Amendment and why voting women are important to democracy.

Guilford Technical Community College is the fourth largest of 58 institutions in the North Carolina Community College System. GTCC serves nearly 35,000 students annually from five campuses and a Small Business Center. Learn more at www.gtcc.edu.

These programs are supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-00-19-0034-19).