Women’s March San Francisco Announces Speakers for its "Hear Our Vote" Rally
Powerful All-Female Lineup Will Focus on Issues Under Threat by Current Administration
San Francisco, CA -- January 12, 2018: The countdown is on for Women's March San Francisco's January 20 "Hear Our Vote" rally and march taking place in San Francisco’s Civic Center. The organization today announces an incredible speaker lineup who will address issues ranging from DACA and #MeToo to the Muslim Ban and homelessness. The all-female speaker lineup will also address the importance of representation at all levels of government.
With a focus on the importance of elections, "Hear Our Vote" is the theme for Women’s March California in 2018, and centers on five levels of action:
Voter Registration
Voter Turnout
Local Organization
Increasing women in office (especially women of color)
Electing progressive women and allies
Only 54 percent of women in California are registered to vote, which is in the bottom third of U.S. states, and of that group only 45 percent turned out to vote in the 2016 election.
“After last year’s march, we were honored to partner with groups working for social justice throughout the year,” said Sophia Andary, co-lead of Women’s March San Francisco. “ We’ve also been inspired by the huge swell of women running for and winning office and by the impact of grassroots activism on election results. With so much at stake at the polls this year, our mission is clear - let’s show up on ballots and at polls to effect change!”
The speakers will be in front of San Francisco’s City Hall, currently run by a black woman Mayor - the first for San Francisco, and only the second woman to hold the spot - and the rally begins at 12 noon. Attendees are encouraged to take public transit (buy tickets in advance!) and to gather by 11:30 a.m. Volunteer opportunities and more can be found at www.womensmarchbayarea.org and registrations are encouraged to help ensure a safe and accessible event for all.
Women’s March San Francisco is a 501c3 and will not feature any active candidates on-stage. Any politicians currently running for office will not be able to participate in programming.
“We planned this action long before the untimely death of Mayor Lee, and are excited to be able to give such a visible platform to issues that are at the heart of the changing landscape in San Francisco,” said Janete Perez, co-lead of Women’s March San Francisco. “The City will have the opportunity to choose among a predominantly female field in the summer’s special election, which could result in the second female Mayor of San Francisco - or the first female Mayor of color.”
Confirmed Speakers, in alphabetical order by first name:
Aimee Allison: President of Democracy in Color, an organization that focuses on race, politics and the New American Majority that worked to elect President Barack Obama, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Kamala Harris, and other leaders who carry a social justice agenda. She is host of the “Democracy in Color” podcast. Aimee has launched "Get in Formation", a national call for Black women to support Stacey Abrams for governor of Georgia. She is the author of Army of None (Seven Stories Press, 2007)
Alex U. Inn: Bay Area Artivist/Activist, 2017 SF Pride Community Grand Marshal, Friends of Harvey Milk Board President, Founder of KINGDOM! Drag King House. Recipient of the The LGBTQ Center Honors Award for Community Leadership, Hank Wilson Activist Award, and waiting to hear if selected for Barrack Obama Foundation Fellowship Award.
Brittany Packnett: Catalyzed by the death of Michael Brown, Brittany is a Ferguson protestor and served on President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force and the Ferguson Commission, helping bring protestor voice to policy change. In 2015, Brittany helped launch Campaign Zero, a comprehensive policy platform to end police violence.
Cecilia Chung: Senior Director of Strategic Projects for Transgender Law Center, Cecilia is nationally recognized as an advocate for human rights, social justice, health equity, and LGBT equality. She was the former Chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and is currently serving on the Health Commission. Cecilia has been working tirelessly on the local, national and international levels to improve access to treatment for transgender people and people living with HIV, and to erase stigma and discrimination through education, policy, advocacy, and visibility.
Heather Hargreaves: As the Executive Director for NextGen America, Heather organizes for climate justice, as well as immigrant rights, affordable health care, and core American values. She previously ran NextGen’s electoral program in 2016, including a focus on mobilizing Millennial voters, worked to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation with the non-profit Alliance for Climate Protection, and was the General Election Director for President Barack Obama’s campaign in the battleground state of Nevada.
Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Sandra Lee Fewer: Representatives on the Board of Supervisors, the legislative body of the City and County of San Francisco, currently led by a majority of women for the first time in its history. Serving District 9, including the Mission, Portola, and Bernal Heights, Supervisor Ronen has focused on addressing street homelessness as a leading advocate for Navigation Centers, expanding affordable housing, ensuring public safety, and protecting the culture and character of San Francisco neighborhoods through the creation of Cultural Districts. Representing District 1, the Richmond, Supervisor Fewer has prioritized affordable housing for low income residents and working families, long-term solutions for homelessness, and has worked to improve public transportation in the Richmond and throughout the city.
Jacquelynn Evans Gbogboade and Jennifer Friedenbach: Jacquelynn is an activist and advocate for those experiencing homelessness. Formerly homeless herself, her lived experience shapes her work today. Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness. She has also worked as Executive Director at Hunger and Homeless Action Coalition of San Mateo County for over five years.
Joy Elan: An award-winning author and spoken word artist from Oakland and Berkeley, Joy uses her writing to advocate for civil rights for people of color, women, and people with disabilities. She has received Table of Honor in some of the international book festival categories. Joy was born with a hearing loss and has been wearing hearing aids since she was 15 months. Despite the obstacles she faced, she overcame many of them and continues to overcome obstacles.
Kanyon Sayers-Roods: A Costanoan Ohlone and Chumash, Kanyon is a Native American artist, poet, author, activist, student, and teacher. She will open the rally with a traditional blessing.
Rabbi Katie Mizrahi: Rabbi Katie Mizrahi, activist and Or Shalom’s spiritual leader, will lead an Interfaith Interlude.
Olga Talamante: The first female Executive Director of the Chicana Latina Foundation, Olga is well known for her community activism and has worked with several service-providing and public advocacy agencies, including Head Start, the YMCA, the American Friends Service Committee, and the Argentine Commission for Human Rights. Named one of the "Most Influential Latinos in the San Francisco Bay Area" and a "Heroine of the Latino Community" among other awards, Olga will address issues impacting immigrants and Dreamers.
Ramona “Mona” Laughing Brook Webb (emcee): An Afro-Creek queer scholar practitioner, teaching performance artist who currently serves as the Associate Artistic Director of The Queer Cultural Center. The QCC is a multiracial community-building organization that fosters the artistic, economic and cultural development of the LGBTQQAAI community and for 20 years has produced the annual National Queer Arts Festival in the Bay Area.
Sadalia King and Viviana Becerra: Representing the We Said Enough campaign to end sexual assault and harassment, Sadalia is legislative aide and Viviana is the legislative director for Assemblymember Rob Bonta. Both were signatories on the open letter published in the LA Times by women working in state government, shedding light on and calling for an end to the pervasive culture of sexism, harassment, and assault within the Capitol. This action was featured among the Silence Breakers on TIME Magazine’s historic cover
Zahra Billoo: A civil rights attorney and the Executive Director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Zahra was a featured speaker at the Women’s March on Washington and last year sued the Trump Administration to challenge the “Muslim Ban” Executive Orders.
ENCORE SPEAKER: Andrea Dew Steele, the President and Founder of Emerge America and the Co-Founder of Emerge California, has worked tirelessly to develop a top-notch training program to get women elected. Emerge currently has training programs in 24 states across the country with plans to expand in the future – and Andrea will inspire future leaders hidden in the march’s audience to run!
FOR MEDIA: B-roll and images from 2017 marches, impact statements for 2018 and other materials are available. Please register for press credentials for access to on-site press facilities.
Media inquiries: martha@womensmarchbayarea.org
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