In an awareness presentation March 23, a UCLA graduate said violent crimes against women have remained unchanged in the US just as they were 150 years ago.

Raige Pierson, UCLA graduate researcher and performer in the Department of World Arts and Cultures, spoke in a Ventura College Cultural Anthropology class as a part of the ongoing events setup to observe Women’s History Month. Pierson’s discussion was focused on violence against pregnant women committed by their lovers. She explained most of the crimes are due to the act or suspicion of cheating, and often share the same patterns described in some songs. She related her knowledge through comparison of a 150-year-old folk song to a similar song by Rap artist EMINEM.

“The leading cause of death with pregnant women today is homicide,” said Pierson.

Pierson shared how she encountered the folk song “Pretty Polly” during her studies at UCLA. The song was written about the events of an 18-year-old woman, Polly Aldridge, who may have been pregnant when murdered in 1860 by her 44-year-old lover. She explained how the song was an example of a Murdered Girl ballad, often written in the pre-printing press era, which tells of tragic stories to circulate news to other towns.

Pierson then performed “Pretty Polly” to illustrate violence toward women. The lyrics described how Polly’s lover took her into the woods, disemboweled her, stuffed her with rocks, and threw her into a creek. She also played “Kim” by EMINEM, in which he describes himself murdering his pregnant girlfriend, to show a Murdered Girl form of ballads still exist today.

Pierson will be performing “Pretty Polly” in concert at the UCLA Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater April 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. Regular admission tickets $15, $10 for students. Reserve seating call (310)825-2101.