Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy CoHosts “Standing in Our Power – Women of Color Leading Change”
The Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition (MAWOCC) and the UMass Boston Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy will jointly host a virtual forum entitled, “Standing in our Power: Women of Color Leading Change,” on Saturday September 19 and 26. The forum will focus on civic engagement, voting, electoral representation, and policy reform.
“ Our purpose is to educate, inspire, and activate women of color around policy issues that are of particular relevance to them. ”
“Our purpose is to educate, inspire, and activate women of color around policy issues that are of particular relevance to them with an interactive forum that will provide women with tools and strategies for civic engagement and igniting positive change in our communities. This is of great importance as the needs and voices of women of color have been not been fully considered in the policy process,” said Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, director of UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy.
MAWOCC President Celia J. Blue said, “Civic engagement and getting out the vote have always been major areas of concern for women of color. This year, while we recognize the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement, we must acknowledge that the voices of women of color were not always heard and valued and that only means the work continues with a sense of urgency like never before. While we have come far, we still have much further to go.”
The two-day virtual conference will feature a morning town hall session on voting, voter suppression, and civic engagement. An interactive “She the People” panel featuring women of color leaders past and present who have and are currently blazing trails in political and civic arenas.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register for the virtual seminar, please visit: cutt.ly/our-power.
The “Standing in our Power: Women of Color Leading Change” event is supported by a Barbara Lee Family Foundation Suffrage Centennial project grant. Strategic partners include: Amplify LatinX, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s Boston Alumnae chapter, Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe Inc., MassVOTE, Massachusetts Voter Table, and Women’s Pipeline for Change.
About MAWOCC
The Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition is a statewide organization dedicated to eradicating the racial inequities among women of color created by structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized racism. MAWOCC addresses racial inequities through authentic inclusion in the areas of politics and civic leadership, education justice, economic power & sustainability, criminal justice reform and health and wellness.
About the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMass Boston
The Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy in the McCormack Graduate School seeks to empower and increase diverse women’s leadership to achieve more just, responsive, and intersectional public policies. In all its work--graduate education, cutting-edge research, and public programming--CWPPP uses an anti-racist and intersectional analytical framework that includes race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion to promote social and economic justice, equity, and meaningful inclusion. https://www.facebook.com/cwppp/