10 Things to Know This Week
Black Women’s Blueprint Ushers in the New Year
Happy Birthday Ms. Recy Taylor! On December 31st, Recy Taylor celebrated her 97th birthday. At Black Women’s Blueprint we know how important it is to celebrate all our elders everyday they are with us. Farah Tanis was able to visit Recy in her Alabama home and everyone at the BWB family wishes Recy light, love and peace on this special occasion. Recy Taylor remains an inspiration and guiding light for us in our anti-violence, social justice work. Black Women’s Blueprint is collecting love letters and notes of affirmation for Recy Taylor. If you would like to contribute or for more information please contact ericka@blueprintny.org
January Member Meeting: Black Women’s Blueprint will be holding our January Member Meeting later this month. At December’s member meeting, our community came together to discuss our resistance responses to the election and engaged in collective visioning that carried us into 2017. At our next member meeting we will be moving to finalize plans for the March on Washington (including parallel events or gatherings in addition to physically marching), as well as continuing to draw from our collective strength and resilience in this new year. More information on the date and time forthcoming.
Words of Fire: Sex, Power and a Black Feminist Call for Global Justice Call for Papers Deadline EXTENDED: In April 2017 Black Women’s Blueprint will co-convene a conference in Atlanta, Georgia with the Women's Research and Resource Center at the historic Spelman College to honor the 1st anniversary of the Black Women’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Black Women’s Blueprint invites you to co-create with us as we ask a single question: What does our mutual liberation look like? We especially invite folks from the margins who are writing/making/working back through myriad ways of knowing the erotic: honoring the body as sacred and unburying means of collective or relational pleasure (broadly defined) for the purposes of healing. Read the full Call for Papers here. For more information contact: WordsOfFireConference@blueprintny.org
We Need Your Voice: mamablack aims to be a space where young women and girls can express themselves freely, boldly and unapologetically! We at BWB invite you to contribute and create with us. We want to know how you envision justice. We want to know what every day acts of resistance you take. We want to hear your voice, see your story, read your prose. mamablack is your space to create and to shape! To submit to mamablack contact sevonna@blueprintny.org
Black Women in the News
Black Female Physicist Develops Technology to Kill Cancer: There are fewer than 100 black female physicists in the United States, and Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green is one of them. Dr. Green, a graduate of Alabama A&M University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, recently was awarded a $1.1 million grant to continue her development of laser-activated nanoparticles to treat cancer. Read the full story here.
Women of Black Panther Party Reflect on Today’s Struggle: To celebrate and honor the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party, the Intersectional Black Panther Party History Project spoke with Panther women about leadership, electoral politics and what we should be doing today. Activist Barbara Cox Easley applauded today’s organizers for savvy use of social media to form coalitions and partnerships but urged caution in the midst of rising racial tensions. Activist Kiilu Nyasha reflected that Trump’s victory may be the necessary spark to more earnest organizing, protesting and activism. For more insight from other Panther members read the full article here.
Women’s Marches Around the World: As Trump’s January 20th inauguration looms closer, activists worldwide, in over 30 cities are planning marches on January 21st to protest the sexism, bigotry, and racism spouted by Trump’s regime. Read more about the protests here.
Leslie Jones the 2016 Heroine We Needed: Prior to 2016, many people might have recognized Leslie Jones as a comedian on SNL. However, with the release of the blockbuster hit Ghostbusters, Leslie Jones’ visibility greatly increased. And with that, increased racist comments and threats against the actress and comedian. This article discusses how the vitriol aimed against Jones highlights the bigger problem of race in America, especially the intersection between racism and sexism. Read the full article here.
Self Care
Post Election Affirmations for Survivors of Sexual Assault
On This Day: December 2nd 1898
Sadie Tanner Mossel Alexander, the first African American woman to receive a Phd in Economics and the first woman to receive a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania was born on this day in 1898. She was the first African-American woman to practice law in Pennsylvania and she was the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority from 1919 to 1923. Read more about Sadie Tanner Mossel Alexander here.
Black Feminist Quote of the Week
It is time for women to stop being politely angry.
Leymah Gbowee (Liberian Peace Activist)
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