The Bella Bulletin
SEPTEMBER 2021
BALI INTRODUCES… The Moreen McGurk BALI College Scholarship Fund that will offer two scholarships to two BALI Alumnae, who are currently either enrolled as a Freshman Undergraduate student for the 2021-2022 academic year or a Senior in high school planning for the 2022-2023 academic year.
CHECK OUT… Saina Srivastava’s piece, The Horrors Yet to Come, that reflects upon Afghan women and the struggles they face.
FOLLOW @BELLAABZUGINSTITUTE
The Horrors Yet to Come A write-up on Afghan women by: Saina Srivastava
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Table of Contents I.
Upcoming Events…………………………………...……..3
II.
The Horrors Yet to Come by Saina Srivastava……….……..….6
III.
Highlights of the Month…………….…………….……..….7
IV.
Feminist Five…….…………………………….......……....8
V.
Happy Birthday To……………...……………..……....…....10
VI.
This Month in Women’s History …..……….………………....11
VII. Enrichment VIII. Bella IX.
Opportunities……..………...............................…..12
Bulletin Staff………….………………..……...….….14
BALI Staff…………………………….…………..........…..15
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events Register for International Day of the Girl!
BALI proudly sponsors the International Day of the Girl every year and strongly encourages the BALI community to register!
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Upcoming Events Liz Abzug to Receive Gay City News’ Impact Award Our Executive Director and Founder, Liz Abzug is receiving an award from Gay City News’ annual Impact Awards. This award recognizes the achievements and contributions of outstanding LGTBQ+ and allied New Yorkers. This event will virtually broadcasted for those interested in attending.
Date: November 11th, 2021 at 7 pm Register Here
Reminders FAFSA Opens October 1st!
Register for International Day of the Girl by October 11th
Early Action Deadline for College Apps due November 1st or 15th
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The Horrors Yet to Come A write-up on Afghan women by: Saina Srivastava
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Highlights of the Month
The long-awaited “2020” Summer Olympics this year has put a spotlight on the racism, and more specifically, misogynoir that is entrenched in the Just days after the Department of Homeland sports industry. First, Sha’Carri Security announced that theyRichardson cleared was the banned from the Olympics after a positive cannabis camp of 15,000, mostly Haitian immigrants test, even asylum though itinis Del not aRio, performance-enhancing seeking Texas, horrifying drug (and let alone the fact that many white athletes images were released of U.S. Border Patrol have been excused of much worse accusations). This Agents chasing Haitian immigrants with past week, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka stepped horses and whips. This instance is one in a down from their Olympic events to protect their long line of atrocities comitted by the U.S. physical and mental health. And as a result, these government dating back to the first influx of champion athletes have faced immense Hatian asylum teh three 1970s. After discrimination andseekers judgment.inThese instances the brutal “clearing” detention center (among many others at of thisthe year’s Olympics) begs this September, the overwhelming majority the question of whether the Olympics and its fans of forced to travel careHaitian about immigrants their Black were athletes beyond the back to Haiti. entertainment and talent they provide.
Three months ago, the CDC announced that vaccinated people were free to enter public indoor places maskless fear has of contracting or A recent lawsuitwithout in Taiwan the potential spreading COVID-19. This month, however, due to to make historic change in Taiwan. This several of the court Delta variant of the Xiao virus month,outbreaks a Taiwanese approeved (the most to revealing in E’s request changeofherwhich genderoccurred on her ID Provincetown, where most of the without proveMassachusetts, of gender-affirming surgery. population is vaccinated) the CDC announced that Back in 2019, Xiao E was denied this right, vaccinated individuals can, in fact, contract and and in response, she took her case straight spread the disease. As a result, it is now to court. Now, many activists have hope that recommended that everyone, regardless of Xiao E’s case will set a precedent and vaccination status use masks indoors. The Delta abolish the law that states trans individuals variant is near twice as transmissible as the first must have gender-affirming surgery to strains of COVID-19, yet less than half of the U.S. change gender on their IDs. populationtheir is vaccinated.
This summer, indigenous water protectors and allies have been Poland tirelesslyissued protesting the construction of In 2020, an almost-complete Line 3, a pipeline being built by the Canadian oil ban of abortions; only permitting victims of company Enbridge. The pipeline is being constructed incest, rape, or medical emergencies in Northern Minnesota even though it violates access to safe and legal abortions. Many several treaties made with the Ojibwe people of the have accused the Polish government of area. Furthermore, the pipeline is set to cross 200 taking advantage of the COVID-19 bodies of water and its carbon footprint would pandemic and quietly exceed that toof quickly all of Minnesota. Thepass influxthe of law. In response, the Belgian government Enbridge workers into Ojibwe territory has also funded abortioncases organizations heightened6 COVID-19 and led to the that assaultwill of now people from Poland come some invite indigenous community members.toFor ways to to Belgium andstopline3.org. receive safe and legal help, please see
In response to financial difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC established a This month, California Governor Gavin moratorium that protected Americans from Newsom established a three-year evictions. This month, even though the pandemic pilot-program that will record data about the and its subsequent financial obstacles are far from gender and sexuality of victims of violent over, the moratorium was lifted, leaving many deaths. is limited to AmericansWhile in thethe lurchpilot-program for affordable housing. With six still hopeful the counties, moratoriumadvocates lifted, manyare Americans acrossthat the this landmark bill will be the first step in country now owe months of past-due rent with little addressing increased violence by to no support.the This already very presentfaced issue has the So and far, will Santa been LGBTQ+ exacerbated community. by the pandemic not Clara, Angeles, Stanislaus andchange Fresno dissolve Los unless established, permanent is made by thehave federalagreed government. counties to participate in the
abortions.
program.
Titled Writerafter Karlaher Cornejo able-bodied, Villavicencio identical was on twin’s DACA nickname when she The decided PrettytoOne: write Onabout Life, Pop being Culture, undocumented Disability, for andthe Other first time Reasons using toher Fallown in Love name. with It was Meright is anafter honest, the challenging, election of 2016, and hilarious the day collection she realized of the essays story that she’d detail tried Keah to steer Brown’s clear life, oflove, was and the pop-culture only one she obsessions. wanted toAs tell. herSo quote she wrote belowher confirms, immigration Keah Brown lawyer’s uses phone The Pretty number One on to herpush hand past in Sharpie the need and embarked for her cerebral-palsy on a trip acrosstothe becountry a source to tell of inspiration and instead encourages the stories her readers of her fellow to see undocumented her disability asimmigrants—and just one of her many to find other the hidden interesting key andher to powerful own. traits and accomplishments (including her love for cheesecake!) The Pretty One has received praise from well-known artists and writers like Roxane Gay, Lena Dunam, and Deepak Chopra. Looking beyond the flashpoints of the border or the activism of the DREAMers, Cornejo Villavicencio explores The Pretty the lives ofOne thealso undocumented—and unpacks Keah Brown’s the viral mysteries social media of hercampaign own life.#DisabledandCute. She finds the singular, Initiallyeffervescent a personal hashtag posted characters across bythe Brown nation to celebrate often reduced her personal in the media journey to with political self-love, pawns#DisabledandCute or nameless laborers. has transformed The stories into tells she an online are not community deferential of or disabled naivelypeople inspirational celebrating but themselves show the love, and proving magic, heartbreak, that “being insanity, disabled and being cute vulgarity thataren’t infuse the mutually day-to-day exclusive.” lives of Like her subjects. most online content created by Black creators, however, #DisabledandCute is occasionally referenced without crediting Keah Brown. So to all of our lovely BALI readers that might want to contribute to the hashtag, make sure to tag her @Keah_Maria!
In New York, we meet the undocumented workers who were recruited into the federally funded Ground Zero cleanup after 9/11. In Miami, we enter the ubiquitous botanicas, which offer medicinal herbs and potions to those whose status blocks them from any other healthcare options. In Flint, Michigan, we learn of demands for state ID in order to receive life-saving clean water. In Connecticut, Cornejo Villavicencio, childless by choice, finds family in two teenage girls whose father is in sanctuary. And through it all we see the author grappling with the biggest questions of love, duty, family, and survival.
In her incandescent, relentlessly probing voice, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio combines sensitive reporting and powerful personal narratives to bring to light remarkable stories of resilience, madness, and death. Through these stories we come to understand what it truly means to be a stray. An expendable. A hero. An American.
“I don’t mind being an inspiration if it is for a valid reason, such as admiring how many slices of pizza I ate, an essay or an article I wrote, my clothing choices, or how quickly I can learn the lyrics to songs. As long as the inspiration doesn’t come with pity or self-congratulatory pats on the back, I am all for it. Let my love for cheesecake inspire you the way it will one day inspire a nation. At least you can say you were there first. - Keah Brown In addition to being an author, Keah Brown is a notable journalist, actress, and “The twisted inversion that many children of immigrants know is that, at some point, your parents screenwriter. Brown has written for and been featured in established publications
become your children, and your own personal American dream becomes making sure including Essence, Cosmopolitan, and Teen Vogue. Keah Brown is also featured in they ageBurke and die with dignity in a transformative country that hasanthology never wanted them.” Tarana and Brené Brown’s You Are Your Best Thing. ― Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The Undocumented Americans
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (born 1989) is an Ecuadorian-American writer and the This, however, is just the beginning for Keah Brown. In 2022, she will publish her first children’s book, titled author of The Undocumented Americans (2020). She has written about her experiences as an undocumented Sam’s Super Seats. Illustrated by Sharee Miller, this upcoming book will follow a young girl with cerebral palsy immigrant from Ecuador to the United States. In October 2020 it was shortlisted for the National Book Award as she goes back to school shopping with her best friends. Though more information has yet to be released, for Nonfiction. Keah Brown is also set to publish a book geared towards young adults in the next few years. Brown has big dreams when it comes to television, many of which have already been accomplished, but for now, we should all take the time to read extensive and wait to see what next!her parents brought her to the Cornejo Villavicencio washer born in 1989works in Ecuador. When she wasshe fourdoes or five, United States. She has a brother. The family lived in the New York borough of Queens. She graduated from Harvard in 2011 and believes she is one of the first undocumented immigrants to do so. As of September 2020 she is a PhD candidate in the American studies program at Yale. She was an Emerson Collective fellow.
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Women’s History of the Month: JULY
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Bella Bulletin Staff Wilma Abam-DePass Co-Editor-in-Chief School: Mount Holyoke College BALI Class of 2017 Contact Info: Wilma@depass.com
Zoe Donovan Co-Editor-in-Chief School: Brown University BALI Class of 2017 Contact Info: zoezoedonovan@gmail.com