Raise Your Voice Blog | Nicole Clark Consulting

16 May, 2012

Do You Know Who You’re Talking To?: Effective Messaging for Young Women of Color

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:46:14-04:00May 16th, 2012|Categories: Program, Service, & Campaign Design|Tags: Youth|0 Comments

This weekend, I will be attending and speaking at the New York City Reproductive Justice Media Conference , sponsored by the New York City Reproductive Justice Coalition, in collaboration with Women’s eNews. This conference will focus on re-framing the discussion on what reproductive justice means, how to create effective messaging that is tailored to your audience, and how to communicate with the media and public about reproductive justice. I will be speaking on effective messaging for young women of color (YWOC). I’m looking forward to connecting, building, and learning as much as I can this weekend from some amazing activists and journalists. This is a very important discussion to have, and with 2012 presidential election just 6 months away, everyone is trying to push their issues and campaigns to the forefront. Not only that, but many want definitive answers on where the lawmakers stands on the issues they care about.

(What is the reproductive justice framework, you may be wondering? Here’s an awesome PDF by Forward Together (formally Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice) , which highlights in detail what the reproductive justice (RJ) framework is, as well as the differences between reproductive health, reproductive rights, and reproductive justice.)

When it comes to young women of color (YWOC), there are so many coalitions, groups, organizations, TV shows, music, movies, books, programs, and other entities out there vying for their attention. Historically, the voices of YWOC have often not been meaningfully included in progressive movements. With the exception of organizations that specifically target YWOC for their campaigns and programming, YWOC’s inclusion in the developing, delivering, or receiving end of messages directed towards them and designed with their values, beliefs and needs in mind, have been few and far between. Also, just because a message resonates with YWOC doesn’t mean that it’s positive.

How can we effectively reach them when there are so many influences out there? Do we know who you’re talking to?

Why Messaging to Reach Young Women of Color (YWOC) is Important

Back in 2007, I co-presented a workshop called “Do You Know Who You’re Talking To?: Effective Messaging for Young Women of Color (YWOC)” during the 2007 Women, Action, and Media (WAM!) Conference in Massachusetts, with my good friend Candace Webb, MPH, CHES. In front of a packed room, we discussed why creating effective messaging to reach YWOC is important.

In general, one of the reasons why creating effective messaging is important is because, in order to get what you want (develop better policies, raise more funding, get more press, etc.), you need some segment of public support to move your agenda forward. Secondly, raising awareness and making sure that the public is informed are other reasons why messaging is important. One thing that Candace mentioned during our presentation is that messaging that’s thoughtful and succinct can enable organizations and communities to find a unified voice on a specific social justice campaign. Third, messaging is important for grabbing attention. Think of news reports, magazine articles, and songs out there that have instantly grabbed your attention. Notice that many of the messaging may not have been positive, but it somehow stirred something within you that prompted you to take action, whether it was turning up the volume on the TV, reading the article more thoroughly, or turning off the radio.

Despite YWOC’s involvement in social justice work and the need for more leadership opportunities, very little research has been done on effective strategies for reaching YWOC. When asked why messaging to reach YWOC is so important within progressive movements, Daisy Hernandez and Pandora L. Leong of In These Times (2004), has this to say:

“Progressive movements have a long history of internal debates, but for feminists of color the question of racism and feminism isn’t about theories. It’s about determining our place in the movement. As the daughters of both the civil rights and feminist movements, we were bred on grrlpower, identity politics, and the emotional and often financial ties to our brothers, fathers, aunties, and moms back home, back South, back in Pakistan, Mexico or other homelands. We live at the intersections of identities, the places where social movements meet, and it’s here that our feminism begins.”

In order to help cultivate the next generation of young women activists, we need to do a better job at reaching out to young people in ways that affirms them and helps them to raise their voices. Also, we need to recognize that YWOC are dealing with a lot of issues these days: racism, sexism, ageism, immigrant status, education, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, among others. How can we develop effective messaging for YWOC that’s affirming, inclusive, and timely? How can we help YWOC decipher between messaging that’s for their benefit versus messaging that’s used to stigmatize, put down, and exclude their voices?

What Are Some of the Basic Principles for Messaging? (more…)

9 May, 2012

Self Love is the Best Love: National Masturbation Month

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:45:29-04:00May 9th, 2012|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: sexuality|0 Comments

May is the month of many awareness days, in particular National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month and National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. But did you know that May is also National Masturbation Month? It’s ok. Many people don’t know because, like masturbation itself, no one wants to acknowledge something that’s so commonly practiced.

How did National Masturbation Month come about?

According to EmpowHer, National Masturbation Month was coined in response to the 1995 resignation of United States Surgeon general, Dr. Joycelyn Elders. During a 1994 World AIDS Day event at the United Nations, Dr. Elders, in response to an audience member’s question about whether masturbation can be instrumental in delaying the onset of early sexual activity in young people, said: “I think it is something that is part of human sexuality and a part of something that perhaps should be taught.”

Things didn’t fair well for Dr. Elders, who later was forced to resign in 1995. But the positive is that Dr. Elders is still highly revered and vocal about discussing “taboo” and “difficult” subjects, especially when it comes to sex and sexuality. Another positive is that we have National Masturbation Month! The purpose of National Masturbation Month, for the people who coined it, was to not only raise awareness about the firing of Dr. Elders, but to also get people talking about something that people refuse to acknowledge that they do: masturbate.

What are some of the myths about masturbation?

One of the reasons why masturbation is such a taboo thing to discuss is due to shame and stigma associated with self-pleasuring. Here are some myths I’ve heard along the way about masturbation:

You’ll go blind.

Your mental health will be compromised.

You’ll grow hair on your hands.

You’re some kind of pervert.

It’s only something you do if you’re not in a relationship, and if you do it too often, you’re screwing (no pun intended) up your sexual functioning.

You won’t be able to perform sexually with another person.

Now that we have those myths out of the way, what are some benefits to masturbation? There are plenty! Here are some physical and psychological reasons: (more…)

18 Apr, 2012

Guest Post: The Revolution Starts with Me

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:44:47-04:00April 18th, 2012|Categories: Self & Community Care|Tags: Guest Posts, self care|0 Comments

This guest post is cross-posted from SouLar Bliss, and is written by Adaku Utah. Adaku Utah is the founder of SouLar Bliss, and is an activist, healer, teacher and performance artist committed to nurturing authentic expression within people and transformative and healing community spaces. She is a proud social justice co-consirator, committed love warrior and ever-evolving mover and shaker. Adaku has worked as the Social Change Initiatives Coordinator at the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), where she led ICAH in planning and implementing youth-adult partnership practices and coordinated state-wide sex education school board organizing initiatives. Currently, Adaku works with Project SAFE as a project facilitator, training and supporting youth and adults in educating and organizing around sexual health and reproductive justice issues.

Adaku & I co-facilitated a workshop called “The Revolution Starts with Me: Promoting Self-Care and Preventing Burnout” this past weekend. Check out Adaku’s awesome re-cap of the workshop, and be sure to check out SouLar Bliss for free and low-cost self care events in your area, Like Soular Bliss on Facebook, and follow Adaku on Twitter.

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This weekend Nicole Clark and I presented “The Revolution Starts With Me” at the 26th Annual Conference for Student and Community Activists: “From Abortion Rights to Social Justice” at Hampshire College. The Revolution Starts with me is a workshop that utilizes healing practices, interactive activities, storytelling, and skill-sharing, to support activists and social justice organizations in thinking more critically about the importance of prioritizing self-care. Together we explore and grapple with how we practice self-care in a world that does not prioritize our self care, how we carve space for ourselves when we’re being pulled in multiple directions, how schools, agencies, collective spaces and community organizations support us in prioritizing self-care, how we create sustainable practices that not only prevent burnout but allow self care to thrive in our lives on a consistent basis. Throughout the workshop everyone in the workshop individually and collectively share a wealth of practical recipes, remedies, rituals and resources that support short and long term self and community care.

We had a brilliant mix of 40 folks!! Here is some of what we shared with each other during the workshop. Thank you soo much to everyone that came out. What a blessing and honor it was to build community and sacred space to be and share with each other.

RECIPES

Recipe to Deal With A Toxic Boss
Remember that your emotions are equally important.
Create boundaries-as many as permitted without risking your job.
Stop trying to manage their emotions. This is not your job and you dont have to do this.
If their toxicity is more than you can bear, get out of there. Without shame or guilt.

Recipe for Grounding Yourself
When things are overwhelming and I feel emotionally overwhelming the advocacy center taught me how to ground. Focus on your breath and let yourself feel your feet grounded. Point out three or more physical things around you to let you know you’re still alive. Use sensory description when you are doing this (I see the clock is blue, I feel the soft carpet, I smell sweetness). Remind yourself of 5 positive things that have happened to you recently. Remind yourself of positivity in the future.

Recipe for Sadness: hug a puppy! If you don’t have a puppy, google puppy pictures

Recipe for Burnout: Make sure people know just how much you are doing!!

Recipe for an Over-Worked and Goal-Oriented Person
Create a longterm plan of modest goals with self care. This will provide structure and provide satisfaction in the accomplishment of the goals. Example joining a sports team creates a solid schedule for an individual to follow, and hopefully the athletics provide an enjoyable and soul-full opportunity to relieve emotional/mental exhaustion, and to help reduce long-term physical exhaustion.

Recipe for Empowerment
1 verse Lauryn Hill
1 poem Audre Lorde
1 verse Erykah Badu
1 poem Assata Shakur

Recipe for Self love-winter version :cup of tea, blankets/pillows, book/magazines/tv show (not work related), closed door, phone off ,computer off

Recipe for Self Love-summer version
comfortable clothes, go for a walk, leave phone off or at home, bring a friend (animal or human). Take 1 hr (Suggestions: stop and sit at a park bench, bring a picnic, go somewhere with nature)

Recipe for Self Care
Snuggle up with my puppy and watch lady and the tramp with a big bowl of spongebob kraft mac & cheese. Generic will not do. Also, don’t wear pants!!

Free Write Recipe
Get a piece of blank paper. Set a clock for 5 mins. Begin to write whatever comes to your mind, don’t worry about spelling errors, messy hand writing, or anything that would effect you from writing whatever comes to your mind. You don’t have to write names or anything. Whatever comes to your mind is what goes on the paper, unscripted.

Recipe Build an Altar to Your “Dark Selves”
The things that debilitate or torment you about yourself are the things to embrace, celebrate, and bring into the light. Honor all you are even the balanced dark.

7 Divine Words of Self Affirmation : I AM-Whole, Perfect, Powerful, Strong, Loving, Harmonious and Happy

Vegan Gravy and Mashed Potatoes
This is my go to comfort food to soothe my soul. I don’t use measurements sorry. Fill a pan with olive oil and one diced onion on high heat. Once it starts to simmer, add flour slowly while stirring, until it takes on a smooth but very thick consistency. Turn heat to medium low, stir and let chill. Add seasonings. I like cajun seasoned salt, rosemary & thyme, but anything will work. Transport to a pot and add vegetable broth while stirring until it takes on a consistency slightly more liquify than desired. Add veggies of choice. I like kale, corn, peans, carrots and tomatoes. Let it hang out on low heat.TATERS: Boil potatoes. Once soft, drain water. Mash with chives, soy milk, olive oil, salt and earth balance.

(more…)

5 Apr, 2012

Can We Love God & Sex?: Religion, Media, & Young Women’s Sexuality

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:43:51-04:00April 5th, 2012|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: sexuality, Youth|0 Comments

Over the past weekend, I attended the MOMENTUM Conference: Making Waves in Sexuality, Feminism, and Relationships in Washington, DC, to facilitate a workshop entitled “Can We Love God and Sex?: Young Women, the Media, and Making Room for Sexuality & Spirituality”.

This was my first time attending the MOMENTUM Conference, and I was glad that my workshop was accepted because the media and how we’re portrayed affect us all, and many of us may have grown up in households where religion was also encouraged and practiced. I wasn’t quite sure how the workshop would pan out (I technically put the workshop fully together 24 hours before I was scheduled to present), plus I’d never presented on such a complex topic before. I wanted to facilitate the workshop based on my own personal experiences. Even in my adult years, I still continue to work through my “stuff”: trying to remain a critical thinker in a society where it’s very easy to become influenced by what you see and read. When I was younger, I held onto the notion of being “the good girl”, and I was often told that I was the good girl. I wanted to continue to live up to that expectation, and I think in some ways we all want to live up to an image that is pleasing to others, and shows us in a favorable light.

Yet a few of my workshop attendees asked: What exactly is a “good girl”?

In the United States, we live in a contradictory society regarding sex and sexuality. Women are expected to remain virtuous until their wedding night while men are encouraged to be sexually experienced prior to marriage. Young men can be praised for their sexual prowess by having sexual relations with multiple young women, yet young women (and older women, for that matter) are expected to have as few sexual partners as possible to avoid be labeled a whore or a slut. (And not only does this confuses young women, it also places an unfair burden on young men who may feel pressure to live out this expectation).

And when you add the influence of the media into the equation, it all just sucks.

Sex is everywhere: magazines, books, television, music, film, and other forms of media. Sex is taboo in American society, yet many forms of media highlight unprotected sex…or, in the extreme sense, it stresses refraining from sexual activity until you’re married (with no mention of learning about how your body functions, contraception, what to do when you don’t want to remain pregnant, or encouraging preventative methods against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs.)

Instead of discussing the relationship between religious/spiritual views on sex and sexuality and how women and girls are portrayed in the media, many often go to great lengths to keep religion/spirituality and images of women in the media distanced from each other. This is often problematic for women and girls of color. Stereotyped images in the media of Black and Latino women in particular often emphasize the extremes—from the Black “video vixen” and “hot” Latina, to the Bible-toting mother of the Black Church and the rosary-clutching Latina Catholic—increasing the denial of voices to be heard on how we view our sexuality and spirituality. Although women have made great strides in advocating for positive images of women and of sex and sexuality to include that, indeed, sex is not “dirty” or “sinful”, the mindset that “good girls don’t have sex” is still deeply rooted.

Still the question remains; What exactly is a “good girl”? (more…)

21 Mar, 2012

Blow The Whistle on Street Harassment

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T17:42:48-04:00March 21st, 2012|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: Street Harassment|0 Comments

As a freshwoman at Spelman College, I had to attend a self-defense course, sponsored by the campus public safety department, during freshwoman orientation week. It was raining that day, we all were hyped about being away from home and experiencing the real world (and some were upset that we were required to stay on campus during the entire week of orientation, and we couldn’t go to neighboring Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College.)

During the self-defense course, I remember feeling uneasy. I knew that the information I was learning could be potentially useful if I needed to utilize it…and that’s the thing. I didn’t want to use it. I didn’t want to feel that I had to be constantly on guard and suspicious of every man that showed interest in me or walked towards me while on campus or on a busy street. I stayed away from dating and relationships until the week of college graduation, when I finally asked the guy I had been interested in for several months to be my boyfriend.

Also during orientation, my classmates and I sat through a public safety lecture, where we were told the story of a young woman who went on a date with a fellow male classmate from the Atlanta University Center. They knew each other pretty well. Pretty well enough for the young woman to feel comfortable in going back to the classmate’s apartment after a date. After several minutes of lighthearted chatter in the living room, the classmate walked down the hallway towards his bedroom. After what seemed like an unusual amount of time, the young woman, being concerned about her classmate, walked down the hall toward the young man’s room. As she reached his bedroom doorway and called out to him with no response, she walked into his bedroom. The classmate, who was standing behind the door, reached from behind the door, grabbed the young woman, pulled her into his bedroom, and sexually assaulted her.

Going back to that self-defense class, I did zone out a lot. Learning ways to defend yourself should make you feel empowered, right? For some reason, I didn’t feel that way. It made it feel even more nervous. I didn’t want to be in a position where I had to defend myself physically, and it made me feel sad about living in a world where women had to constantly be on the defense. But the mood of the class was somewhat lifted when we received our whistles. My college classmates and I, attending an all-female college, received whistles during freshwoman year to assist us in self-defense. In the Atlanta University Center, we were the only students who had whistles, and the idea behind the whistles was that, if we felt that we were in danger, all we had to do was blow our whistles, and someone—be it campus public safety, fellow students, or students at the colleges nearby—would come to our aid. We all joked about it throughout college, of course, and thankfully, I never had to use my whistle while in college.

Flash forward, 10 years since my first year of college, and I still carry my whistle on my keychain. Living in New York City, I’m used to walking and taking public transportation to get from point A to point B. I’ve been in New York City for almost 4 years now, and I’m pretty much perfected my “Don’t mess with me” face while I’m out in public. Accompanying my mean mug are my earbuds for my iPhone’s music. I’ve gotten in the habit of walking everywhere, at all hours, with my earbuds in my ears (but now I take one earbud out when I’m out at night or in an unfamiliar place). Despite that, my keys, with the whistle attached, are always in my hand. Most times, my fingers are wrapped around the whistle in case I need to use it.

Oftentimes, I want to blow my whistle at the men who subject me to street harassment… (more…)

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