31 Jul, 2013

Once You Decide to Become an Activist, You Never Leave It. It’s What You Do.

By |2021-08-19T18:15:24-04:00July 31st, 2013|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: , |0 Comments

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(Top row: Left- Presenting a workshop at the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists Conference in June 2013; Right- Being interviewed on Let Your Voice Be Heard Radio in March 2013. Bottom row: Left- Panelist on the Pro Choice & Millennials panel in February 2013; Right: Acceptance speech for the Excellence in Leadership award during the Choice USA Generation 2 Generation Awards in July 2013)

July 2013 marks 2 years since I began blogging my perspectives on sexual health reproductive justice and how various social justice issues (age, gender, race, safety, poverty, etc.) impact Black, Latina, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native/Indigenous women & girls. In fact, 2013 marks 10 years since I became involved in the reproductive justice and feminist movements, and throughout this year I’ve thought a lot about the various roles I serve in and how I’ve combined them to create a consulting business that’s in alignment with my vision and values.

This year has been a year of various transitions for me, both personally and professionally. Part of the transition has been recognizing the fact that I’m more comfortable labeling myself as an activist. It wasn’t until a year ago that I became comfortable with calling myself a social worker, and even recently I began referring to myself a program evaluator and a consultant. For a long time, I viewed my various roles as separate entities. However, they progressively build upon each other. My activism guided my decision to become a social worker. My social work studies led me to consider a career as a consultant, speaker, and program evaluator. My consulting business allows me to rely on the skills I developed as an activist and social worker to be as effective and engaging as possible.

However, if it weren’t for being an activist, I wouldn’t have been successful as a social worker, speaker, program evaluator and consultant.  (more…)

10 Jul, 2013

How Can “Red” States & “Blue” States Work Together for Reproductive Justice?

By |2021-08-19T18:12:28-04:00July 10th, 2013|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: , |0 Comments

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Recently, The Texas State House of Representatives voted to pass Senate Bill 537, a law to ban abortions after 20 weeks. This law would have closed 37 of the state’s 42 abortion clinics. Given that Texas is a conservative (aka “red” state), it was nearly certain that the law would pass.

That’s when Wendy Davis, backed by an army of pro-choice activists and lawmakers, launched the most epic filibuster, standing from 11am until midnight to express how this bill would impact Texas women, ending a 30-day special session called by Governor Rick Perry. All over social media, supporter of Texas’ abortion clinics, and pro-choice advocates nationwide sent their support, many donating money to buy food and other items for the activists that stood outside while Wendy spoke. However, as of yesterday, the Texas House has begun debating on House Bill 2, essentially doing what Senate Bill 537 hoped to do. The House must approve the bill again on before it will be sent to the Senate.

It brought me back to something that I often don’t think much about: I’m a southerner, born and raised in Georgia (another red state) for over 25 years, before moving to New York in 2008. In a progressive state like New York where access to abortion, birth control, and other reproductive services are accessible for the most part, it’s often easy to remain in a bubble, neglecting to pay attention to what’s happening elsewhere. I may not think about my southern roots often, but one thing I do ponder is where my activism is most needed: in progressive states, or in what’s considered “red” or “flyover” states, where some of the worst policies against women’s reproductive rights are being introduced to state legislatures. At times I do wonder if I would I be considered an outsider, coming in to help “save the day?”, despite my southern upbringing.

How can “red” states and “blue” states work collectively for reproductive justice? Here are some important things to consider:  (more…)

3 Apr, 2013

Tackling Teen Pregnancy Prevention: A Comparison of Solutions

By |2021-08-19T18:08:47-04:00April 3rd, 2013|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: , |0 Comments

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(Image from Teens in New York City Protection+ app, by of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)

Since the New York City Human Resources Administration launched its “Think Being a Teen Parent Won’t Cost You?” campaign aimed at lowering the city’s teen pregnancy rates a month ago, the campaign (and its ads that are now featured at city bus stops and inside the subways) has been under fire locally and nationally. I’ve been one of those vocal opponents of the messaging of this campaign, and together with the New York Coalition for Reproductive Justice, the No Stigma! No Shame! Campaign began in response to the HRA.

This week, I happened to notice a local news report on a new phone app developed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, aimed to not only reduce the numbers of teen pregnancy in the city (which has dropped to around 30% within the past decade) but to also show teens where to go for information on birth control, condoms, and testing.

Piquing my interest, I downloaded the app to test it out. I also signed up for the HRA’s texting game by texting “NOTNOW” to 877877 to compare the two. I don’t have to tell you that the outcomes were VERY different.

Here are my observations: (more…)

27 Mar, 2013

Is Social Media Causing Your Activist Burnout?

By |2021-08-19T18:07:57-04:00March 27th, 2013|Categories: Self & Community Care|Tags: , |0 Comments

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(Image source)

There are many benefits to using social media to engage in activism: there’s no cost, it’s readily accessible to many, it’s instant, and you can get the word out about what’s happening in your community.

But what about those moments when you see something on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or other networks you participate in, and you immediate react, and not in a good way? You can feel your body begin to tense up, your breathing becomes deeper, a slight headache starts to form, and your fingers start firing off status updates or tweets.

You may believe that you’re at your activist best when this happens. You’re passionate, enraged, and ready to take action. However, while using social media can be fun, educational, and a great way to mobilize others around your cause, it can also lead to feeling overwhelmed and burned out.

I’ve had multiple conversations with activist friends, spanning a wide array of social justice causes, and they tend to share the same sentiment: They want to make their voices heard to as many people as possible, but it often comes at the price of taking the time out for self care. They feel overwhelmed because they feel pressure (directly or indirectly) to have something to say in order to show their knowledge and leadership. They feel the pressure to always be on. They also feel guilt when they want to take a break from social media, especially when something crucial is happening in their movement.

Is the use of social media affecting your ability to be not only effective in your activism, but also to be mindful of your self care? Here are 4 ways to make sure you’re still socially engaged but also keeping activist burnout at bay.

You might be thinking, “Well, I know this stuff already.”

That’s good. But are you doing it?:
(more…)

9 Jan, 2013

How Are You Raising Your Voice in 2013?

By |2021-08-19T18:00:57-04:00January 9th, 2013|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: |0 Comments

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(Image credit)

We’re in the second week of 2013, and during the first days of every year we evaluate what took place last year, and develop resolutions or goals for things we want to get, where we want to be, and experiences we want have. In doing this, we focus mostly on ourselves and how we want some aspect of our lives to change for the better.

And that’s totally great! But how are you raising your voice in 2013?

2012 was one of the worst (if not the worst) years in women’s health. While major wins such as the United States Supreme Court ruling the Affordable Care Act as constitutional and the birth control mandate beginning in August were exciting, 2012 had the second-highest number of abortion restrictions ever made at the state-level. Not only that, health disparities also continue to run rampant in low-income communities and communities of color, and the politicizing of women’s bodies shows no signs of slowing down.

While fighting for women and girls (especially women and girls of color) to have access to the services that can improve their health and lives can oftentimes feel discouraging, we shouldn’t feel undaunted. Let’s make 2013 the year where huge strides are made in sexual and reproductive health. Not only when it comes to reproductive justice, but for women and girls’ mental, spiritual, and emotional wellness.

How do you want to raise your voice for women and girls’ health in 2013? Here are a few ideas to get you started: (more…)

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