Seventh annual Gather the Women event brings together all ages

ST. JOSEPH — Every woman has a story to tell.



At the seventh annual Gather the Women celebration at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, they can share their stories to better understand themselves and one another.

“It is through the sharing of stories that barriers have a tendency of coming down, or at least lessen, and people can talk to each other more on a one-on-one basis,” Sue Smith-Grier said.

Smith-Grier, a Minneapolis storyteller, will be featured at the free event March 21 with her portrayal of Harriet Tubman’s role in the Underground Railroad, bringing slaves to the North.

“It’s a story of hardship, difficult times and slavery, and coming into freedom — a journey of gathering inner strength to overcome obstacles and helping people along the way,” she said.

Power

Gather the Women is a global organization honoring International Women’s Day that awakens and celebrates the collective power of women, according to organizers.

“When we get together, we are providing self-sufficiency to women, so in the future they can be new leaders in the community,” said Brianda Cediel, executive director and co-founder of Hands Across the World, a resource for immigrants and refugees in Central Minnesota.

Cediel is a co-organizer of the Gather the Women celebration in St. Joseph, which is the largest in the nation. Her mother hails from Colombia and her father is of Italian descent.

“For me, the most exciting thing about Gather the Women is it’s an opportunity for women from various cultures to get to know one another,” said Linda Hutchinson, a co-organizer of the event.