Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower (1993). New York: Grand Central Pub., 2007. 

"Octavia E. Butler, the grande dame of science fiction, writes extraordinary, inspirational stories of ordinary people. Parable of the Sower is a hopeful tale set in a dystopian future United States of walled cities, disease, fires, and madness. Lauren Olamina is an 18-year-old woman with hyperempathy syndrome--if she sees another in pain, she feels their pain as acutely as if it were real. When her relatively safe neighborhood enclave is inevitably destroyed, along with her family and dreams for the future, Lauren grabs a backpack full of supplies and begins a journey north. Along the way, she recruits fellow refugees to her embryonic faith, Earthseed, the prime tenet of which is that "God is change." This is a great book--simple and elegant, with enough message to make you think, but not so much that you feel preached to." (Amazon.com review)

http://www.amazon.com/Parable-Sower-Octavia-Butler/dp/0446675504/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327418777&sr=1-1 

The Women's & Gender Studies Program at Morgan State University is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and offers an undergraduate Minor in Women's and Gender Studies. 

The Minor in Women’s & Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary program of study that encourages students to learn about cultural, social, economic, and psychological issues important in and to the lives of women, especially women of color. Students explore the issues of gender and sexuality, paying particular attention to how those constructs are affected by race, religion, class, and nationality. Students also learn to think critically about how cultures construct and police gender and sexuality, and to recognize the consequences – both empowering and restrictive – of gender roles in our own urban environment and in communities around the world. The minor is open to all students.

A flier listing requirements for the minor and more information about the Women's & Gender Studies Program are available here under "Women's Studies" (located in the lefthand menu bar), at the Dean's Office (Holmes 231), or from Dr. Julie Cary Nerad (Holmes 213) or Dr. Anika Mann (Holmes 309), Co-Coordinators of the WGSP. 

A Calendar of Events for the WGSP is available in the lefthand menu of this website under "Women's Studies."