The Bella Bulletin DECEMBER 2018
Leaders of the Month: Sarah Yang, Aisha Fall,
Happy Birthday to‌
Reyana Samaroo
World-renowned singer, songwriter, and actress Donna Summer. Gave a voice to feminists of her generation.
Activism through Art Janelle MonĂĄe using her platform as an artist to advocate for the POC and LGBTQ+ community.
Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the
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Foundations of a Movement is a book written by Angela Y. Davis. It
was published in 2016. In a collection of essays, interviews and
Table of Contents A Letter from the Editors………………...……….3 Women’s History of the month …..……….……4 Activism Through Art ………………….….……...5 Headlines of month .………………………..……..6 Women Make History.….……………………..…....8 Feminist Five………………….…………..…..…... .9 Happy Birthday to…………….…………..…..…... .11 BALI Holiday Party………….……………......…….12 Enrichment Opportunities...……………….......13 Bella Bulletin Staff……………..……….…….....15 BALI Staff and Board of Directors………........16 Thanks for Reading………………….………........17
Dear BALI Network, We would like to take the time to wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season. We hope that you have enjoyed our monthly newsletters thus far, and we will continue to represent our BALI girls and their community around them. We would also like to give a huge shoutout to our Bella Bulletin team, Mayannah Beauvoir and Sofia Baluyut. They play a vital role in the success of the Bella Bulletin by highlighting the work of prominent feminists both in and outside of the BALI network. We are happy to inform you all that Ms. Melissa Noonan-Mazzei recently joined the BALI family as a board member. Ms. Noonan-Mazzei is a product strategy leader with global experience in the luxury goods industry. Through collaborative design, she makes things smoother, faster and more profitable. For the past 17 years, Ms. Noonan-Mazzei worked at Tiffany & Co., where her deep design, craft and manufacturing knowledge allowed her to develop and lead teams in Merchandising, Product Development, Engineering and Sourcing. She is curious and genuinely interested in brand and product evolution - and hugely passionate about women and leadership. Ms. Noonan-Mazzei strives to do everything within her influence to guide, empower and support young people in developing self-advocacy and professional acumen. Ms. Noonan-Mazzei went to Baltimore School for the Arts for high school and graduated from Smith College, where she studied Art, Italian and Economics. She spent two years in Italy studying to be a jeweler and has a Graduate Gemology diploma from GIA. This October, she received a post-graduate diploma in Strategy and Innovation from Oxford University’s said Business School, where her research focused on collaboration in multi-disciplinary development environments. She resides in Brooklyn with her daughter and son in a bilingual Italian-English household. Welcome Ms. Noonan-Mazzei! We are also looking for input from our BALI Network! Whether it is artwork, literary pieces, Op-Ed’s, or advice on how to improve the newsletter, we are always open to new ideas. Be on the lookout for emails from us on how to you can contribute to the Bella Bulletin. Special thanks to Liz Abzug, Oriela Baliaj, Gabriela Valette, Munira Choudhury, Neonne Ameer and our BALI Board of Directors for their constant support. We hope you enjoy our December issue of the Bella Bulletin, and wish you all a happy and prosperous new year!
Wilma Abam-DePass Co-editor-in-chief
Zoe Donovan Co-editor-in-chief
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Women’s History of the month: December
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Activism Through Art In Janelle Monáe’s music videos for her four singles off her latest album, Dirty Computer, she empowers many views of womanhood.
In “Make Me Feel,” she allows women to be flirty, to be sexual, and to experience attraction to multiple genders. She flirts, in turn, with Tessa Thompson, a man, and herself, and embraces fluidity with the lines “it’s like I’m powerful with a little bit of tender/an emotional sexual bender.” Monáe also embraces fluidity in her video for “I Like That,” which includes shots of her singing straight to the camera while seated in red theater-like seats, surrounded by copies of herself. “Walking contradiction, guess I’m factual and fiction,” she says, and then saying she doesn't care if she’s the “only one who likes that.” With the imagery of an audience filled with carbon copies of Monáe, it’s clear the only person who needs to understand her womanhood is herself. In “Pynk,” Monáe and other black and brown women dance and celebrate their bodies, carefree and playful. Finally, her messages all tie together in the masterpiece “Django Jane.” In the music video, Monáe seats herself on a throne surrounded by black female dancers, and raps about the power in herself, in all women, and in black women in particular. She asks men to take a seat and listen, and then finds strength in her identity: “Remember when they used to say I looked too mannish?/Black girl magic, y'all can't stand it.” In being truthful to her narrative as a queer black woman through her art, Monáe is intentionally becoming a feminist activist. Discussing “Django Jane,” she said, “I just
wanted to remind myself and to remind other women—we’re magical. I think you can use [...] art as a way to protest, as a way to fight back. [...] It’s me taking back the mic.” In a Rolling Stone interview, as well, Monáe directly addresses sexuality, and the support that she hopes Dirty Computer can provide to the LGBTQ+ community: “I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you. This album is for you. Be proud.” Monáe has also been taking action before Dirty Computer. She created a protest song for Black Lives Matter called “Hell You Talmbout” where she and other artists scream out the names of black people who were killed by police violence. Monáe also started Fem the Future, an organization that works to support women in the arts; she performed at the 2017 Women’s March; spoke about the #TimesUp movement at the 2018 Grammy’s; and her recent work in Moonlight and Hidden Figures brought new narratives into the mainstream.
By making her music powerful, unapologetically black and queer, intentionally inclusive, and occasionally playful, Monáe is creating new, fluid representations for many marginalized women. And she hopes that her art can lead to deeper understandings amongst people with different experiences. In a political time when she says, “As a young black woman, my very existence felt less than the people in the position of power right now,” she hopes that her music can spark conversation.
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Headlines of the Month Son of Ferguson Uprising Activist Allegedly Lynched
Tear Gas Used on Migrant Caravan from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala
On October 17, Ferguson Uprising activist Melissa Mckinnies walked out of her home to find her son, Danye Jones, hung from a tree on her property. Mckinnies then posted a picture of the scene on Facebook with the caption: “This is what I woke up to. They lynched my baby.” The “they” Mckinnies refers to in this post are the harassers that she and other Ferguson activists have faced since their involvement in the protests of Michael Brown’s killing by a police officer in 2014. Mckinnies states that she has been threatened over social media and has had people follow her to her home, and she suspects the same people are behind her son’s death. However, the St. Louis Police force has insisted on investigating the death as a suicide. The St. Louis Police justify the investigation on the basis that “There were no signs of struggle or trauma to the body. And, [they] said, the family reported a suicide when they called 911.” However, Mckinnies says that Danye packed an overnight bag, suggesting that he trusted his killer and intended to leave with him. Danye Jones hasn’t been the only death in relation to the Ferguson Uprising. Police are still investigating the mysterious deaths of activists DeAndre Joshua, who was killed in 2014, and Darren Seals, who was killed in 2016.
On Sunday, November 25, U.S. Border Patrol used tear gas on the thousands of members of the migrant caravan from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala that are seeking asylum. The migrants attempted to cross the San Ysidro crossing and were met with tear gas because rocks were supposedly thrown at border personnel. Whether or not the use of tear gas was necessary is now under debate. While the use of tear gas is technically legal, it is illegal to use it on pregnant women and children. And since 1 out of 3 migrants are traveling with children, children made up many of the victims this past month. These children include the daughters of Meza, the woman whose picture (above) became the face of the tear gas attack. Almost every reporter covering the tear gas attack wanted to hear Meza’s story. In an interview with Buzzfeed News she said “It wasn’t right that they acted that way with kids. They have kids too, and they should have thought about their own kids, just like they should have thought about ours.” The migrants are currently housed in tents in Tijuana’s Benito Juárez Stadium. 3,000 are in the process of applying for asylum, but it’s been said that only 100 claims are being processed per day.
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Headlines of the Month Women’s Rights Activists in Saudi Arabia Face Torture in Prison
‘Black Girl Magic’ Takes Over Judicial Polls in Harris County
This past November, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported the torture and sexual assault of at least eight women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia’s Dhaban Prison. According to three testimonies found in these reports, the female women’s rights activists have faced torture by electric shock, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, whipping, as well as sexual assault. So far, it is unclear whether Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi government want to force these women to sign confessions or if they simply want to punish them for their peaceful protesting. In an opinion article written for Al Jazeera , Hana Al‑Khamri argues that the torture of these women reveals Mohammed bin Salman’s strategy of false reform. In other words, when Mohammed bin Salman lifted the ban on women driving by themselves, his motives were purely to gain the reputation of a reformer. When in reality, according to Al‑Khamri, the Saudi leader is willing to suppress those that challenge the government. In addition, these reports surfaced only a week after news of the murder of Saudi Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Mohammed bin Salman.
History was made this November in Harris County, Texas when 19 African American women ran for judge and won. They were deemed the #Houston19 and campaigned as a group under the slogan “Black Girl Magic.” This election was part of the wave of increased representation for women of color that we saw across the country during this year’s midterm elections. The #Houston19 were particularly important for Harris County, however, being one of the largest and most diverse counties in the United States. According to the American Constitution Society, white men make up 58% of Texas state court judges, but only make up 30% of the population in Texas. The #Houston19 has taken a huge step towards making local governments in Texas more representative of its population. Not only do they more accurately represent the population of Texas, they also have major plans for how to make Harris County a better place. One of the #Houston19, Erica Hughes, an elect of a criminal court position, said in a Facebook post: “We want to definitely turn Harris county upside down in criminal justice reform.”
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Women Make History in Midterm Elections History was made in this year’s midterm election with over 90 women elected to congress. Female candidates of both political parties saw success in the 2018 elections and represented states all over the country. As of January there will be 102 women in the House of Representatives, more than ever before. And several states that previously had no women in their delegations, will now have female representatives.
Not only were these elections trailblazing for women alone, but the midterm elections this year have brought in much more representation for people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, and younger people. In addition, major change was seen in the House of Representatives, which now has a Democrat majority.
There have been several revolutionary Congress-elects in particular who have captured the country’s attention.
One of them being Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representative for New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens. Ocasio-Cortez made history by not only being the youngest woman elected to congress, she has also gained attention for advocating for Medicare for all, a $15 minimum wage, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ayanna Pressley became Massachusetts’ first black congress-elect. She has also become well-known for her advocacy for a $15 minimum wage and a defunding of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In addition, she has fought tirelessly to end sexual assault and gun violence.
Ilhan Omar became one of the first Muslim women and the first Somali-American to be elected to Congress. The new representative of Michigan’s 13th Congressional district defeated Republican Jennifer Zielinski.
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Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundations of a Movement is a book written by Angela Y. Davis. It was published in 2016. In a collection of essays, interviews and speeches, the famous Angela Y. Davis illustrates connections between struggles existing around the world. Her main foci were the timely deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri along with several other Black men illuminated by the media along with violence and turmoil in Palestine. Though much of her interviews are related to these subjects, she connects these issues with struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history. She reveres Black feminism, prison abolition, intersectionality and other bodies of knowledge as essential to modern day liberation. Davis makes impressive connections between today’s struggles against the state and historical examples in order to show patterns of injustice and resistance. Witnessing so much inequality in the world, Davis encourages us to continue to push for peace as “freedom is a constant struggle�. 9
“[a womanist] Loves music. Loves dance. I cannot Loves the change. moon. Loves “I am no longer accepting the things I am
changing things cannot the Spirit. the Loves love Iand food accept.” and roundness. Loves struggle. - Angela Davis herself. Regardless.” Loves the Folk.Y.Loves - Alice Walker
Angela Yvonne Davis is an African American political activist, professor and author. In the 1960s, she emerged as a prominent
activist working with the Communist Party of the USA, the Black Panther Party and the Civil Rights Movement. Davis is widely known
Alice Walker is an African American poet, novelist, playwright and activist.
for her arrest and trial in 1970, and became third woman in history
She was born in rural Eatonton, Georgia in 1944. She was born to
to make the FBI’s Most Wanted list for “unlawful interstate flight.”
sharecropping parents and was the youngest of eight children. She grew up
She fled the state to avoid wrongful kidnapping and murder charges. She then defended herself in
in the south during the Civil Rights Movement, and attended segregated
court and was successfully acquitted of all charges. Davis was born on January 26th, 1944 in
schools. She graduated as the valedictorian of the only black high school
Birmingham, Alabama, and is now 74 years old. She grew up in “Dynamite Hill”, the neighborhood available to her in her town. She went on to attend the Historically Black
marked in the 1950s by the bombing of houses and intense attempts to drive out African Americans.
Institution, Spelman College for women, on a full scholarship. She transferred and later graduated from Sarah
She grew up surrounded by communist organizers and thinkers. She attended Brandeis University for
Lawrence College in of New York in 1965. During her senior had an abortion, which was the inspiration her BA, University California, San Diego for her MA year and she Humboldt University for her PhD. She is for much ofa her poetry and prose during adulthood. After college, Santa she became editor of the celebrated currently professor emerita at the her University of California, Cruz. an Her research includes Ms. Magazine and American began publishing novels. Soon she Marxism, published social her most popular works, In Search history of Our feminism, African studies, critical theory, consciousness, philosophy, Mothers Garden s, an She The is Color , which was later adopted into an an award winning movie and to Broadway and prison reform. also Purple a co‑founder of Critical Resistance, organization working abolish musical. Today, Walker is a mother to fellow author, Rebecca Walker, and continues to write an give speeches. the prison‑industrial complex. 10
CLASS OF 2017: Leaders of the Month
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Looking for Enrichment Opportunities? American Museum of Natural History various teen programs run through the American Museum of
Black Natural Girls Code Historyoffers programming and events in coding for African American girls. Black Girls Code offers and eventsand in coding for African American girls. Brotherhood/Sister Sol programming offers afterschool summer programming in relationshipbuilding, self/global awareness, social justice, leadership development, and more. Some of Brotherhood/Sister Sol offers afterschool and summer programing in relationship-building, self/global their programs are gender-specific. awareness, social justice, leadership development, and more. Some of their programs are gender-specific.
ChickTech offers programming and mentorship in STEM for high school girls. ChickTech offers programming and mentorship in STEM for high school girls.
Curious Jane offers classes and summer programming in science, theatre, arts and crafts, and more for girls. Columbia University pre-college programs for high school students run through Columbia University. DigitalCurious Girl, Inc. at high to provideinprogramming andand offers Jane works offers classes and schools summer programming science, theatre, in artsSTEM and crafts, moretech for workshops for the community. girls. Girl,works Inc. works at highschools schools to STEM andrace, offers and tech workshops for Girl BeDigital Heard in high toprovide teachprogramming girls aboutingender, class through theand community. theatre, offers workshops and performances. Generation encourages civic engagement in youth through an action civics class. Girl Vow offers Citizen education, mentorship, advocacy, and life skills training for girls. Girl Be Heard works in high schools to teach girls about gender, race, and class through theatre, and
Girls for Gender Equity offers programming in community advocacy, leadership, and social offers workshops and performances. justice for girls. Girl Vow offers education, mentorship, advocacy, and life skills training for girls.
Girls Inc. offers programming in statistical analysis, economic literacy, leadership and community STEM,offers media literacy,inathletics, health education, Girls foraction, Gender Equity programming community sexual advocacy, leadership, and socialsubstance justice for abuse prevention, girls. self-defense, and more for girls ages 6-18. Girls Inc. offersoffers programming analysis, economic literacy, and community action,day Girls Leadership Parentin&statistical Daughter workshops, parentleadership education, and summer STEM, media literacy, athletics, sexual health education, substance abuse prevention, self-defense, and camps for girls entering grades 4 and 5. more for girls ages 6-18.
Girls on the Run offers a physical activity based youth development program for girls in gradesGirls 3-8.Leadership offers Parent & Daughter workshops, parent education, and summer day camps for girls entering grades 4 and 5.
Girls Who Code offers afterschool and summer programming in coding for middle and high Girls on the Run offers a physical activity based youth development program for girls in grades 3-8. school girls. Girls Who Code offers afterschool and summer programming in coding for middle and high school girls.
Girls Write Now offers mentoring programs in writing, digital media, and college preparation for girls. Girls Write Now offers mentoring programs in writing, digital media, and college preparation for girls. 13
Click on program names For More Info! GOALS for Girls offers year‑round programming, a summer intensive, weekend forums, and internships in STEM for middle and high school girls. LOVE Mentoring works at high schools to deliver small‑group mentoring for young Latinas. Life is Precious offers individual and groups counseling, arts therapy, academic support, and nutritional and fitness activities to prevent suicide among young Latinas. Lower Eastside Girls Club provides programming in STEM, business, art, leadership, and advocacy, as well as mentoring for girls in grades 6‑12. Northeast Regional Alliance (NERA) MedPrep Program a preparatory program for students between junior high and college who wish to pursue careers in the medical field. The NERA MedPrep program has partnerships with five medical institutions including the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. NYC GREAT! offers programming and mentoring in college and career readiness for high school girls. NYU GSTEM is a six‑week summer program for high school girls during the summer between their junior and senior years who have high aptitude in STEM subjects. Powerplay NYC works in elementary, middle, and high schools to offer after‑school programming in physical activity and healthy living. Soul Sisters Leadership Collective works in schools to offer workshops to explore issues faced by young women of color. Summer Health Professions Education Program a free summer enrichment program for college students pursuing health professions. The Whitney Museum of Art arts programs and events for teens at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Vibe Theatre Experience offers theatre and media programming for girls ages 13‑19. Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls offers after‑school and summer music programming for girls. Young Women's Christian Association an organization that informs women on societal issues that affect them and encourages them to vote
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The Bella Bulletin Staff Staff Gisselle Rodriguez Benitez Wilma Abam-DePass Co-Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief School: Northeastern Croton Harmon High School School: University Grade: 12th Major: Economics BALI Class BALI Class of of:2017 2016 Email: wilma@depass.com Email: gisselle@abzuginstitute.org
Zoe Abam-Depass Donovan Wilma Co-Editor-in-Chief Section Editor
School: Bard High School Early College Queens School: Croton High School Grade: 12th Grade: 11th BALI Class of 2017 BALI Class of: 2017 Email: zoezoedonovan@gmail.com
Sofia Baluyut Zoe Donovan Content SectionCreator Editor
School: Bard Early College Queens School: Bard High EarlySchool College Grade: 12th Grade: 11th BALI Class BALI Class of of:2018 2017
Mayannah Beauvoir Adriana Rodriguez Content Creator Section Editor
School: Temple University School: Brown University Majors: Africana Studies/English/Gender/Sexuality Major: Political Science Minor: Women’s Studies BALI of: 2016 Intern Class for BALI Class of 2018 15
for inquiries and suggestions, email contact@abzuginstitute.org
for inquiries and suggestions, email gisselle@abzuginstitute.org
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BALI Staff
Liz Abzug
Oriela Baliaj
Gabriela Valette
Founder & Executive Director
Senior Program Associate
Program Coordinator
Munira Choudhury Program Assistant
Neonne Ameer Program Intern
BALI Board of Directors Liz J. Abzug, Founder/Executive Director Erica Forman, Board-Chair Meg Holzer, Secretary Cynthia McKnight, Treasurer Erica Forman, Chair Eija Ayravainen Gloria Steinem Joanne Davila Maya Catherine Popa Kai Gilchrist
Betsy Scheinbart-Norton Harold Holzer Jonathan Greenberg Judy Lerner Melissa Noonan-Mazzei
Jerry Goldfeder A.J. Lederman Kylie Reiffert Liz Cooper
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