Thanks for supporting the work of the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC)! 

On Tuesday, September 13th from 12:00- 1:00 p.m. EDT, please join radio show host Barbara Arnwine, Founder and President of Transformative Justice Coalition, and her guests:  Geeta Kapur, lead attorney for the Moral Monday protests, and members of the National Planning Committee of the African American Women and the Law Conference. In the first half of the show, they will  look at the outrageous efforts of too many North Carolina counties to defy the recent 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in NAACP v, McCrory which invalidated the State's voter suppression bill on the grounds that it was racially discriminatory.   They will discuss strategies for protecting the voters of North Carolina by both challenging these measures, educating,  and mobilizing our communities.

This week will mark the return of the African American Women and the Law Conference (AAWLC) after 16 years of absence. In the second half of the show, they will highlight the great programming to be offered the evening during the Opening Program of the AAWLC at the National Education Association at 6:00 p.m. During the show, they will preview the major speakers of the conference, the 15 workshops, the Opening Program, the luncheon and the Closing Plenary.  Our guests will share their perspectives on what should be contained in the African American Women Legal and Public Policy Agenda.  For more information see @AAWLC2016 on Twitter and @AAWLC on Facebook.

To read the entire show description, click the show title that's in red above. Be sure to spread the word and Listen Live at www.barbaraarnwine.com.

Save The Date!

September 13th and 14th-

The African American Women and the Law Conference 

This 2016 election cycle has talked about many things: income inequality, immigration, the pay gap, colleges and their tuition, foreign policy, etc. But where is the Black Woman’s Agenda? Where is the conversations about how Black Women are unfairly attacked more than others on social media; face a higher pay gap than not only men, but also White women; or, face one of the highest rates of poverty and homelessness? Where are the discussions about a Black Woman’s needs? Is there anywhere a Black Woman can go where she can be included, safe, and be able to openly discuss issues that affect her?

Black women have carried the nation on their backs, and yet, there is little discussion on how important issues affect their lives—until now. The Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) and the African American Policy Forum/Center for Intersectionality and Policy Studies (AAPF/CIPS), along with the National Education Association (NEA), have partnered to host the inaugural 2016 African American Women and the Law Conference (AAWLC) to be held this September 13th and 14th at The National Education Association at 1201 16th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. The AAWLC will include a National Legislative & Agenda Setting Convening, an intersectional conference with skills building, strategic planning, and educational sessions focused legislative and public policy proposals, educational briefings and updates on relevant court and legal rulings, recently released research and emerging issues for sub-populations (such as LGBTQIA women, Seniors, or state/regional concerns). The AAWLC will be all-inclusive for the various issues specific to Black Women.

Black Women and girls face a multitude of challenges to achieving their full potential. The status as both women and African Americans means that they are subject to the social and systemic injustices of racism and sexism.  As women of color, they face racial injustice and continue to be diminished by racial stereotypes of African American women both inside and outside the African American communities. School-aged African American girls are more likely than all their female counterparts and many boys to be suspended, particularly for minor and subjective offenses. The rate at which African-American girls are suspended is the fastest growing suspension rate of any group of students, male or female. The source of much of this discipline is racial and gender stereotyping that label African-American girls as confrontational and provocative.

This important convening will bring together African American women of all backgrounds, and those who advocate for them, to begin to identify the key legal barriers and public policy challenges that limit Black Women’s ability to reach their full potential. The AAWLC will also facilitate relationships between African American women and their advocates, in an effort to build and strengthen alliances and curate partnerships; and to aid in creating regular convenings for the purposes of expanding knowledge of and support for progressive legislative and policy changes.  

Some of the 16 panels and their speakers are:

• “Is It Racist or Is It Sexist: The Perpetuation of Microaggressions Against Black Women”. This panel will be moderated by Ebony McMorris. Speakers include:
  • Lauren Victoria Burke
  • Jocelyn Frye, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress  

• “Reclaiming and Engaging Our Communities:  Our Fightback Against the Taking of Voting Rights”. This panel will be moderated by Barbara Arnwine, CEO and Founder of Transformative Justice Coalition. Speakers include:
  • Sharon J. Hill, National Women’s Political Caucus
  • Marian Perkins, Former Cook County Bar Association President  

• “If Black Girls Matter, We Must Rethink MBK and Other Educational Policies”. This panel will be moderated by Kyndall Clark, Breaking the Silence Program Director, African American Policy Forum. Speakers include:
  • Barbara Smith, Co-founder, Combahee Collective
  • Tanya Clay House, U.S. Department of Education
  • Galen Sherwin, National  ACLU
  • Ashley Strange, Former Student, DC Public Schools  

• “The Hush Among Us:  the Target on the Backs of Our LGBTQIA Community”. This panel will be moderated by Ria Thompson Washington, Executive Vice President, National Lawyers Guild. Speaker include:
  
  • Aiyi'nah Ford, Executive Director, The Future Foundation
  • Zsea Beaumonis, Reproductive Justice Fellow, The LGBTQ Task Force
  • Jay Morrow, Advisor, The Alliance Group, University of the District of Columbia
  • Elle Hearns, Organizer & Activist, Black Lives Matter DC
  • Preston Mitchum, Policy Research Analyst, Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), Georgetown University  

• “The Growing Crisis:  Criminalization of African American Women and Girls as the New Jane Crow”.  This panel will be moderated by Dara Baldwin, Senior Public Policy Analyst, National Disability Rights Network. Speakers include:
  
  • Liz S. Alexander, Founder, She Dreams of Freedom
  • Vivian Anderson, Executive Director of EveryBlackGirl, Inc,
  • Samantha Simpore, Founder, Youth Escape Arena
  • Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee  

• “Ending the Crisis of Homelessness: Black Women Living on The Street”. This panel will be moderated by Brenda Ford-Harding, Esq., Chair of the Board, Transformative Justice Coalition. Speakers include:
  • Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D- CA)
  • Caitlyn Cobb, Social Media Specialist, Transformative Justice Coalition
  • Santana DeBerry, Executive Director, North Carolina Housing Coalition
  • Erin C. Shields, Community Organizer, Bread for the City DC
  • Dominique Hazzard, Outreach Specialist, DC Greens

• Other speakers include Feminista Jones, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Michelle D. Bernard, Samantha Masters, Dr. Monique A. Gamble, and others.
  
  
• You can view the entire program by clicking this sentence.

For those who are upset by injustices that Black Women face, and for those who want a seat at the table to develop policy recommendations and direction for Black Women’s advancement, this is the conference for you. For more information and for updates after the Conference, go to tjcoalition.org, or visit the AAWLC Facebook and Twitter. There will be On-Site registration on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are still accepting online donations until the end of the Conference, and you can donate by clicking here.  

Sincerely,  

- The African American Women and the Law Conference Planning Committee                                                      

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