Those interested in the past, present and future of women’s relationships are invited to attend “Celebrating the History of Women’s Friendships: Present Possibilities, Future Potential” a lecture to be held Monday evening.

The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Charleston/Mattoon Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

“Celebrating Women’s Friendships” is sponsored by the Women’s Advocacy Council and is part of Women’s History and Awareness Month.

Carrie Peirce, a sociology professor from Azusa Pacific University in California, will be the keynote speaker. Melanie Mills, a professor in the speech communication department and coordinator of the Women’s Advocacy Council, said in an e-mail that Peirce has accumulated a wide range of knowledge in the field.

“(Peirce) has multiple degrees in multiple fields, which makes her appealing for a broad audience,” Mills said.

Three of Peirce’s academic specializations include communication, women’s studies and culture studies.

Peirce will discuss the evolution of women’s friendships throughout history with both men and other women, she said.

“If we are able to celebrate even the little-known history of friendships between women at the same time as we encourage nonsexual relations between women and men, we may be able to create a world of social relations to satisfy the needs of particular individuals, regardless of their gender,” Mills said.

Mills said Peirce will discuss basic milestones within popular culture that have paved the way for future relationships, such as the relationship between Harry and Sally in the movie, “When Harry Met Sally.”

“When Harry Met Sally,” a movie that dealt with the possibilities of a real friendship between a man and a woman, was greeted with enthusiasm by a huge proportion of the American public, many of whom wanted to believe that the possibility of female-male friendship could be realized,” Mills said.

Admission to the lecture is free and open to the public.