DeKALB — Women gathered at the Center for Black Studies to discuss and repair generational gaps in communication Friday for I Am Because She Is, a forum hosted in collaboration by the Center for Black Studies and the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center.

Bettie Mattison, event organizer and graduate assistant for the Center for Black Studies, said the forum was intended to host voices of all kinds and from different generations.

“If you feel like you have something you need to get off your chest, we want to be able to have that set-up,” Mattison said. “I always like to see new faces on campus. It’s nice to be able to have conversations and get new perspectives.”

Mattison said attendees could find comfort in hearing shared experiences through testimony, regardless of experience or age.

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Mattison also said opportunities to uplift others could be found in holding events such as these. She said a dialogue between attendees could be found to benefit discussion.

“We may struggle to communicate with people from other generations, but there is an appreciation there,” Mattison said. “There is a love, there’s support, and I think we’re learning and growing and doing that better.”

Mattison and Shakaria Smith, another event organizer and graduate assistant for the Center for Black Studies, gave a presentation outlining existing generations and characteristics distinguishing the respective groups from others. One topic highlighted by the presentation discussed the sometimes contentious dynamic between baby boomers and millennials with attendees from both generations present at the event.

Mattison and Smith then turned to attendees to drive discussion on how to fix gaps in communication between the two groups. Communicative issues discussed included differences in study styles, approaches to technology and barriers in engaging different generations in the classroom.

The forum also focused on the importance of “sister circles,” informal gatherings of women with shared experiences who form trust as a result. This becomes a means to initiate communication.

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Janice Hamlet, panel speaker and associate professor for the department of communication, said her “sister circle” of fellow African-American females in her field has helped her navigate her own success over the years.

“We have been such an integral part of each other’s lives, and I can’t tell you what a blessing that has been to have that bond between women,” Hamlet said.

Hamlet then encouraged attendees to find and form their own “sister circles” at NIU. She said finding fellowship in common groups had the utmost importance in fostering success for women of all ages.

Graduate student Margarita Santamaria said she was originally encouraged by a friend to take part in the event, but after seeing the topic she became excited to attend and meet other women of color on campus.

“I wanted to build that support system for myself, because it’s hard to feel like the only one sometimes,” Santamaria said. “I think I can find solidarity here [and] find someone who understands me in a different way, or learn more about community among women.”

Another attendee, Ashley Palmer, office manager for the Asian American Resource Center, said she finds value in supporting events hosted by the Center for Black Studies. She also said listening to perspectives from other generations, older or younger, was affirming for her.

“You talk to be heard; you listen to understand, and I really appreciate that,” Palmer said.