presentations/trainings
Engaging Print and Online Media to Your Advantage
- National Resource Center on Domestic Violence | 2011
Writing for the Web
- National Resource Center on Domestic Violence | 2011
Is Three a Crowd? Getting the Most Out of Third-party and Social Giving Sites for Your Nonprofit, Hosted by Convio
- Social Media Week NYC | 2011
Social Media for Social Good
- Soapbox, Inc. Feminist Winter Term | 2011
Sometimes it seems like the forces opposed to Planned Parenthood are really engaged in some super genius reverse psychology aimed at increasing individual donations to the organization. Of course it’s just wishful thinking on my part but that’s exactly what happened when anti-choice lawmakers inCongress tried to de-fund Planned Parenthood in early 2011; the organization received more than $2M in donations. Now, it’s the Susan G. Komen Foundation that is raising goo-gobs of money for Planned Parenthood while taking a hit to their own reputation, to boot.
Believe it or not, having an abortion can be safer than childbirth. I know that for even the most pro-choice of us all that statement can seem pretty incredible, but a recent study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology grounds the assertion in reality.
Forget what will.i.am and other neanderthals like him have to say about a woman who comes equipped with her own condoms– it’s 2012 and the smart, sassy, sexy women out there know that having our own protection on deck is one of the many ways we control of our health and lives. The conversation is no longer whether you should have condoms, but rather which kind and where do you keep them? I was pondering the latter question as moved into a new apartment and unpacked the old zippered pouch I ...
I rarely get wrapped up in the world of entertainment “news” and gossip but something about this rash of recent, high-profile celebrity divorces has me upset. In 2011, we saw racks on racks of celeb divorces – Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson; Ashton and Demi; J.Lo and Marc Anthony; Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore; Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver; Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries; and Katy Perry and Russell Brand. While those couples certainly have problems of their own, they’ve gone largely overlooked by black folks. However, black gossip blogs, urban radio and ...
What if I told you that there was going to be a law that would prevent anyone from aborting a child because of its sex or race? Your gut reaction would probably be favorable – even if you’re prochoice you probably don’t think the Ob-Gyn’s “it’s a girl” proclamation is reason enough to terminate a pregnancy. But what if I told you that the matter wasn’t so simple and that there were some potentially negative and harmful repercussions if this policy were to become the law of the land?
It’s a moment we rarely see – those for and against a woman’s right to choose how and when she’ll become a parent are agreeing on something. Both sides are peeved at the Obama Administration for its treatment of the Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation that Plan B One-Stepemergency contraception (aka the “morning after pill”) be made available over-the-counter to individuals under the age of 17. Both sides are accusing President Obama of playing politics to appeal to conservatives as we approach the 2012 election.
I am a proud, self-proclaimed progressive feminist. What that means is that every day, I advocate for the safety, health and advancement of women and girls worldwide. I challenge pre-determined gender roles and support the right of individuals to live according to their own definition. At a more basic level, however, I believe in equality of the sexes. You know, “anything you can do, I can do better,” and all that jazz. So you’d think I’d be appalled at any law that fundamentally treats women differently from men. Uneasy, yes. ...
Whitney Houston once famously sang, “I believe the children are our future,” and as cheesy as that line may seem, it’s the plain truth. But what does it mean for our future if the children are poor, sickly, and uneducated? According to the Guttmacher Institute, birthrates — mostly unintended pregnancies — for women living in poverty are increasing while fertility rates among wealthier, more educated women are decreasing. This means that increasingly, America will be populated by those born into circumstances that statistically place them at risk. What, then, do we do about our ...
Statutory rape laws are meant to protect the young, vulnerable and often defenseless in society from those that seek to exploit their naiveté. We are glad statutory rape laws exist, especially when we picture a middle-aged man seducing a wide-eyed teenaged girl. These statutes make it easier to prosecute and deter rape, which we know is often difficult to do given the general skepticism surrounding rape allegations. Few of us, however, think about the times when statutory rape laws can result in stiff penalties for behavior we don’t view quite ...
How old were you when you started thinking about sex? A recent survey of African American youth conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy andEssence magazine is illuminating the attitudes young people have about sex and relationships. While much of the survey’s results will sound familiar — I can remember having some of the same thoughts and feelings as a young woman – one finding might just be the key to helping our young people make wiser decisions for their health and futures.
Today, I think the effort that we put into behaving in front of white people would be far better served elsewhere.
I hate to say that “I hate to say ‘I told you so’” so I won’t. I know you see it. It’s crazy how things work out but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — don’t fuck with Planned Parenthood. 1 out of 5 American women have visited Planned Parenthood. I can’t understand why people who hate contraception, hate a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body, and most of all, hate what a woman in control of her sexuality means for their own place in society, continue to underestimate the importance of Planned Parenthood. I believe the late Heavy D said it best: “If you can’t see what I can see / you’re blind baby, you’re blind from the fact.”
Catch up on what went down:
Why Susan G. Komen Is Making You Choose Between Breast Cancer And Women’s Health - Let me tell you how the Komen mess is hurting women, especially low-income women, more than it’s hurting Planned Parenthood who is winning this “war” in the public arena.
Komen apologizes for ‘recent decisions,’ pledges to continue funding Planned Parenthood - Like I said, Komen took all of the hits on this one — losing donations, supporters and even its own executives. They HAD to tuck their tails and apologize. Oh, it’s also the right thing to do.
Planned Parenthood raised $400,000 in 24 hours - See?
Ultimately, the anti-choice bullies are still sitting around their fake dismembered fetus signs pouting and grumbling. Why? Shouldn’t they be happy that they pushed Komen to publicly shade Planned Parenthood? Some folks love misery and are never satisfied. Exhibit A: They think it’s all a conspiracy between Komen and Planned Parenthood! Let me tell you from experience… the good people who work at PP would have loved nothing more than to NOT have to work on this for about seven days straight. Conspiracies are too much work.
My thoughts on the “New Birth Crowns Eddie Long as King” video:
Email from Planned Parenthood. Subject line: “Wow. Just wow” re: Susan G. Komen fund pulling funding for breast cancer screenings from Planned Parenthood health centers. Love that snarky activist tone there. Also love the cute black girl in the pics on the bottom. Hey boo!
Oh, if you agree with the content of this supporter letter, you can sign on to the letter yourself. Do it.
This person has 24 hours to remove my photo from his account, B. What I don’t get is how does my pic even help to “promote music for artists”? Mad inconsistent. *sigh*
Obama Campaign shits on everyone else when it comes to technology.
The Obama campaign worked with Square to develop a custom-built mobile payment app for Obama For America, and gave Fast Company a first look. The app is currently available to staff and will be available in the Store in the near future. See more->
#brillz
Of the many axioms about Twitter, the one I like best is “Facebook makes you hate people you know; Twitter makes you love people you’ve never met.” Twitter on the night of a large-scale national event — debates, the State Of The Union, election night — is the Cheers bar most of us don’t actually get to have in real life. It’s a place (or, more accurately, a “place”) where you can gather with like-minded strangers, sit back and kibitz.
“Greetings from the home of Super Bowl 46.” Seriously, that’s your intro?
Oh is that what that was? I thought it actually was an ad for the Super Bowl and turned it off.
-Joe
Blacks love Obama for relieving them of the burden of making excuses for him.