This past May, Minnesotans mourned the passing of Koryne Horbal. In her lifetime, Horbal launched the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus and the DFL Feminist Caucus, served as a U.S. representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and was appointed the DFL party chair at the age of 31. A vocal and unapologetic activist, Horbal was a champion for women, as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Neither the loss of her husband in 2015 nor the three strokes she subsequently suffered stopped her from working on the 2016 presidential campaign for Hillary Clinton. Horbal did not have the money to attend college in the 1950s, but Augsburg University granted her an honorary degree in 2008 due to her work as a consultant with Augsburg’s Women’s Resources Center. Koryne Horbal lives on through her children, grandchildren, and the feminist spark that she ignited in people around the world.

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The article notes Augsburg’s Koryne Horbal Lecture Series in which the College welcomes prominent feminist speakers including Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Winona LaDuke, and The Guerilla Girls. Horbal has been a consultant for the Women’s Resource Center at Augsburg and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the College in 2008.

This year, the lecture will take place on March 9 and feature Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP. More information on the event is available on the Convocation Series website.

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The 2013 Koryne Horbal Lecture with women’s rights icon Gloria Steinem was a “can’t miss” event for Augsburg College student Ali Smith ’15.

“Feminism is something I’m interested in,” Smith said. “It’s a way to bond with my professors and friends because we’re working toward the common goal of equity.”

Each year, the Anne Pederson Women’s Resource Center at Augsburg College hosts the Koryne Horbal Lecture to bring to campus speakers of national distinction who address issues that influence women. The event attracts Augsburg students, like Smith, as well as faculty and staff members, and—increasingly—members of the greater Twin Cities community.

For Minneapolis resident Jacob Enblom, hearing Steinem speak at the College was like interacting with a living textbook. Enblom said he went to an area high school “with strong feminist voices,” which spurred his interest in equality issues. “We studied Gloria,” he said. “She indirectly created the curriculum I learned from.”

The feminist ‘it’ girl

Steinem has traveled the world as a spokesperson for women’s issues, interviewed with national media, led awareness rallies, produced award-winning documentaries, written six books, launched two magazines, and delivered thousands of speeches since the 1970s when she rose to prominence as the Feminist Movement’s most vocal member.

Clearly, Steinem is accustomed to standing in the spotlight and at the microphone.

“Gloria has played a hugely important role in feminist history,” said Adriane Brown, assistant professor of women’s studies. “Media made her the feminist ‘it’ girl in the ’70s, and she has done tremendously important work.”

And yet, when Steinem stepped on stage in Hoversten Chapel, her initial remarks to the audience members at the April 4 convocation were an expression of modesty. Steinem wished the crowd had gathered with her in a circle where the setting could better reflect equality among all those present, and Steinem acknowledged the other feminist leaders in attendance, among them Koryne Horbal—the event’s namesake.

Steinem has worked alongside Horbal, a long-time friend of Augsburg, in addressing women’s equality issues. Horbal, who founded the Minnesota DFL feminist caucus and served as an ambassador to the United Nations on the status of women, invited Steinem to speak at the College and to share her perspective on the past, present, and future of feminist activism in a speech titled, “The Essential Quality Called Freedom.”

Vicki Bunker, a Twin Cities community member who attended the lecture with a half dozen friends, came to campus for the rare, in-person opportunity to hear Steinem speak and to request that she sign a first-edition copy of Ms. Magazine—the publication Steinem cofounded in 1972 and edited for 15 years.

“I’m a product of the ’60s, so I’ve known of Gloria for what feels like forever,” Bunker said. “But, what she spoke of [at Augsburg] still resonates.”

The importance of education

In a publication describing the influence of Steinem, Christine Stansell, a University of Chicago history professor, said she “was to the women’s movement what Martin Luther King Jr. was to civil rights: the galvanizer.”

In her talk, Steinem discussed the founding of the women’s movement, the gains that have been made to find equity for all people, and areas in which improvement must still be realized.

Steinem said some challenges can be addressed through increased awareness among young people and suggested that the liberal arts education at Augsburg plays an important role in establishing equal rights.

“On a campus like this, that I know is utterly devoted to social justice, you have all kinds of courses that make a huge, huge difference,” Steinem said. “In general, you have African American studies, Native American studies, women’s studies, gay and lesbian studies,” and more.

Steinem said that progress will be made more easily in an environment of support, companionship, and community.

Bo Thao-Urabe—a long-time advocate for Hmong women, children, and refugee families in the Twin Cities and Laos—sees higher education as a place where these key components naturally come together. “Colleges are such a great space for developing thinking and framework,” she said. “They can dedicate resources to this important work.”

The Courageous Woman Awards

Thao-Urabe was recognized at the Koryne Horbal Lecture with a Courageous Woman Award (CWA) for the work she has done internationally and in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood where Augsburg resides.

The CWA was created to recognize women who strive for social justice and peace on campus or in the community and whose efforts, be they small or large, make a difference to women.

Augsburg student Kristina Monje ’14 was also recognized with a CWA. Monje is studying creative writing and sociology. She serves as the president of the Mindfulness for Students campus organization, is associate editor of Murphy Square, is a community adviser for Residence Life, is a vital member of the Leadership Team, and was commended for identifying an opportunity to improve students’ Augsburg experience and enhance equality for all those in the College community.

“My courage isn’t an isolated event; it’s encouraged and inspired by the people around me,” Monje said. “There’s no way I could be courageous without the help of StepUp, Res Life, my family, and my close friends.”

Augsburg strives to an inclusive community that welcomes people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. One example includes that in 2009 the Augsburg College Board of Regents approved Reconciling in Christ status, which affirms that the College is welcoming of all people in regard to their gender identity and sexual orientation.

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Koryne E. Horbal

Ambassador Koryne E. Horbal has worked tirelessly throughout her life to empower women around the world and to give voice to their issues.

A native of Minneapolis, Horbal became involved in politics at the grassroots level and has been active in the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Party at every level from precinct to national committee for over 40 years. She was the first woman to serve as state chairperson, and was a founder of the Democratic Party Women’s Caucus.

She is most acclaimed for her work in the United Nations, which took her around the world meeting with women and striving to bring their issues to national and international agendas. In 1976, President Jimmy Carter appointed her as Fifth Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, part of the UN Economic and Social Council–a post she held for four years.

In 2007 Ambassador Horbal was honored by the Minnesota Democratic Women’s Leadership Coalition and the DFL Feminist Caucus with the creation of the “Koryne Horbal Fearless Award,” given annually to a woman who, among other things, “speaks truth to power, to allies, to friends and to self.”

With Augsburg’s Anne Pederson Women’s Resource Center, Horbal has been a loyal and energetic supporter for events, fundraising, and the annual lecture series that bears her name. It is through her connections that Augsburg has welcomed such noteworthy feminist speakers as Robin Morgan, Jane Fonda, and Gloria Steinem.

Medardo E. Gomez Soto

For 20 years Bishop Medardo Gomez Soto has served as the only bishop of the Lutheran Church in El Salvador. The Salvadoran Lutheran Synod, an independent church within the Lutheran World Federation, was founded in 1952 as part of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It has grown rapidly and currently has more than 60,000 members.

During the violent civil war in El Salvador between 1982 and 1992, and under constant threat and at great risk, the Lutheran Church offered refuge and aid to victims of the war. Bishop Gomez was jailed and tortured during this period and forced to seek asylum away from El Salvador for a time. Upon his return home, he was instrumental in negotiating a peace agreement between the government and the leftist liberation group.

Numerous honors have been bestowed upon Bishop Gomez for his humanitarian work, most notably a nomination in 1992 for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1990, he was a co-recipient of the Rothco Chapel Oscar Arnulfo Romero award for dedication to truth and liberty, received the David W. Preus Prize for Leadership from Luther Seminary, and was awarded the Wittenberg National Prize from The Luther Institute in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Gomez remains undeterred and continues to speak out on behalf of the Salvadoran people, as they have continued to be challenged by violence and insecurity, hurricanes, and devastating earthquakes.

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