Posted by Charlette Viney · July 19, 2017 4:57 PM
Add your reaction
Share
Posted by Charlette Viney · June 26, 2017 12:37 PM
Saturday, June 24th at the Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Keith Ellison hosted a political forum moderated by Van Jones.
Van Jones, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and Congressman Keith Ellison
2017 DWJ Fellow Tyffanie Wedding and Van Jones
1 reaction
Share
Posted by LaNiece Jones · June 10, 2017 10:57 AM
NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH
BLACK WOMEN PROMOTING PEACE & JUSTICE IN OUR COMMUNITY
by Danielle Nicole Motley
BWOPA/TILE DWJ Public Policy Fellow 2017
The month of June is generally recognized in this country as National Safety Month. Consequently, BWOPA/TILE's theme for the month of June is "Black Women Promoting Peace and Justice in our communities". We are honored to have Ms. Danielle Nicole Motley, one of our 2017 DWJ Fellows, explain the way black women across the country, especially in the Bay Area have inspired and empowered her to continue the fight for peace and justice in our community.
"Were it not for Black women,
there would have been no one to fight for me and I would not be here to fight alongside you ..."
- Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter
Exactly one year ago, I visited the Bay Area for the first time. After falling in love with its possibilities, its history, and of course, the weather, I ended my visit knowing for certain that I'd soon return to make this my home, which I did so just a few months later. Of all the things that inspire me about the Bay Area, being out on the front lines, fighting for peace and justice alongside other Black women, is at the top of my list.
Since moving here, I immediately started building my community and connecting with some of the Bay Area's most phenomenal women. In September, just a few days after I arrived, I joined
Essie Justice Group in Sacramento to lobby for
SB1157, a bill authored by
Senator Holly Mitchell to protect in-person jail visits in California. After a day of lobbying, we had the opportunity to meet with Senator Mitchell in her office. We packed her space with women whose lives had intersected with the criminal justice system. Their sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and husbands were living life behind bars. We were also joined by formerly incarcerated women who were now fighting for the comrades they left behind. Although, SB1157 was ultimately vetoed by Governor Brown, the energy and passion shared amongst the Senator and all the women who were there fighting for their loved ones that day is unforgettable. Since that visit, I've been following the work of Sen. Mitchell, all of her priorities for 2017 focuses solely on protections for youth, expanding mental health services and fostering environments for families and communities to thrive. Senator Mitchell continues to be a warrior for us all!
1 reaction
Share
Posted by Charlette Viney · June 07, 2017 6:28 PM
Black women are integral to the well-being of their families, their communities and the nation as a whole. Through their work, entrepreneurship, caregiving, political participation, and more, Black women are creating opportunities for themselves, their loved ones, and improving the our economy and society. They have all the makings of what should be success, yet their contributions are undervalued and under compensated. Black domestic workers are particularly vulnerable because of the ways in which racial disparities, gender discrimination, and immigration status serve to further marginalize and disempower the very people who power our economy and push our democracy to be the best that it can be. Whether one examines Black women’s access to healthcare, earnings, or access to much needed social supports like childcare and eldercare, Black women are getting the short end of the stick, despite having contributed so much to the building of this nation.
- READ FULL REPORT -
Add your reaction
Share
Posted by Charlette Viney · May 22, 2017 2:49 PM
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
by TILE Program Director Monica Miller
May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness month. This time of recognition and awareness is important to me considering the fact that I am a 44 year-old African-American woman who has dealt with asthma and allergies all of my life. My family and I are quite familiar with this disease in that my grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins as well as my own two children have all been diagnosed with some form of allergies and asthma.
Asthma is a chronic disease of the lung airways. When someone is having an asthma attack, their airways become inflamed and narrow as a result of reacting to "certain triggers", making it extremely hard for that individual to breath.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 3 million African-Americans have asthma. As a result of several risk factors which include poverty, poor housing and the inability to access quality healthcare, African-Americans are three times more likely to die from asthma-related illness than their white counterparts. Asthma is also the leading reason why kids miss school.
Although there is no cure for this disease, people with chronic asthma can have productive lives by taking the necessary steps to keep asthma under control.
click here to read more
Add your reaction
Share
Posted by Charlette Viney · May 22, 2017 2:41 PM
National Physical Fitness Month
by 2017 DWJ Fellow Chasitie Neal
This month BWOPA/TILE and the DWJ Fellows are proud to celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports while acknowledging Black Women Advocating for Healthy Living. My name is Chasitie Neal and I am a DWJ Fellow from Fresno, Ca. My DWJ Fellows public policy issue area is economic security. I chose economic security because I felt that it is extremely important to understand how to gain economic freedom as an African-American in today's society. One of greatest opportunities and failures of the African American community has been in gaining and keeping economic security. I found it interesting that we have a billion dollar shopping power but our business on average aren't making $100,00 a year. Redlining has always been our enemy, but our voices, our presence, and our money does matter.
Add your reaction
Share
Posted by Charlette Viney · April 12, 2017 1:29 PM
Add your reaction
Share
National Domestic Workers Alliance's The Status of Black Women in The United States 
