Reproductive Justice Activists
As a project of our Girls of Color Fund, the Reproductive Justice Activists (RJA) program seeks to center the voice and leadership of young women, non-binary youth, and allies in an effort to imagine and create a society free from all forms of reproductive oppression. In doing so, the youth activists will work closely with us to identify ways for the Foundation to build a strategy around Reproductive Justice advocacy.
2017-18 Reproductive Justice Activists
Estefania Trujilo Preciado Olivia Lee Betchina Jean Pierre Keith Swinton Aleiya Saunders |
Deanna Findlay Lucia Paz Aaliya Rahamut Bing Chen Victoria Boulin |
Kalesha Sostre Sierra Williams Melat F. Seyoum
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Program Overview
Goals:
- Build leadership and capacity of 10-12 activists of color to serve as informed advocates on reproductive justice and their own lived experience.
- Bring Reproductive Justice lens back to their affiliated organizations.
- Working with the RJA, plan and develop our Reproductive Justice advocacy efforts.
RJA will have opportunities to:
- Learn about the history of Reproductive Justice (RJ), current local and/or national reproductive justice issues, and current advocacy efforts
- Connect and build relationships with the larger RJ community
- Develop their organizing and activism skills
- Examine historical and contemporary examples of how racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, ageism and stigma keep women, transgender women, gender non-conforming, non-binary people of color from being able to have access to the power and resources to make fully informed decisions about their health, bodies, families, and communities
- Inform and guide Brooklyn Community Foundation on how best to deploy and guide resources for RJ advocacy.
About our Reproductive Justice Activists:
- Are youth of color in Brooklyn between the ages of 16 and 24
- Have at least two years of activism or organizing experience
- Are passionate, self-motivated, collaborative, and committed to achieving reproductive justice
- Are interested in creating solutions that address the impact of reproductive oppression on young people of color
- Have a strong desire to develop leadership skills and be a part of a new generation of reproductive justice activists
Timeline
- August 2017
- August 9, 2017: Online Application opens
- September 2017
- September 8, 2017: Deadline for Applications
- September 15, 2017: Reproductive Justice Activists announced
- September 2017: RJA program begins, including introduction and community building activities
- October/November 2017:
- October 18, 2017 – November 30, 2017: Four reproductive justice intensive learning sessions with community and national partners.
- December 2017: Synthesize learnings and identify advocacy priorities
- January-June 2018: Monthly meetings
- June 2018: RJAs share priority advocacy recommendations with Brooklyn Community Foundation and organize an action/celebration.
Compensation
$1,500 for the 10 month program (averaging 8-10 hours of participation per month)