[Herstory] March CWLU Herstory E-Zine

Sat Mar 8 14:12:47 EST 2003

Hello: Welcome to the March issue of the CWLU Herstory E-Zine. Please 
send us news tips about upcoming events you know about. Also, don't 
be shy. Send us news about yourself and what you are doing. Feminist 
networking is part of what we are about. Forward our E-Zine to 
colleagues and friends who may want to subscribe.

Remember: Buy online from Women and Children First Books or the 
History Channel.com using the links from our homepage. The links are 
the History Channel.com and Women and Children First logos. It's a 
great way to buy holiday gifts like books, videos, music or other 
items. We will earn a small but much needed commission.

Many exciting FEMINIST EVENTS are happening in March . See our events 
section at the end of this e-zine  AND visit our Feminist Events 
Calendar at http://www.cwluherstory.org/phpweb/ to check out feminist 
happenings in the Chicagoland area.

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Lisa DiCaprio wins Catherine Prelinger  Award

Former CWLUer Lisa DiCaprio won the 2002 Catherine Prelinger Award 
for work in history. She will use the Prelinger funds to travel 
abroad to study several key cases prosecuted by the International 
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia that illustrate various 
aspects of women's role in international justice. She plans to give 
special attention to the ICTY's prosecution of the Srebrenica 
massacre of 1995 that represented a turning point in the war in 
Bosnia (1992-1995) and is considered to be the worst atrocity in 
Europe since World War II. She will interview survivors of Srebrenica 
and women activists in various non-governmental organizations in 
Bosnia, Paris, and London.

Lisa is presently teaching at the City College Center for Worker 
Education, City University of New York. A former carpenter here in 
Chicago, she organized women in offices, factories, and the 
construction trades and and co-founded Chicago Women in Trades. Lisa 
completed her Ph.D. in European and Women's History at Rutgers 
University in 1996 and focuses on women in European history.

Thanks to Barbara Kessel for bringing this to our attention.

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Aurora Levins Morales and Dennis Bernstein launch Patriot 
Acts--American Poetry of Justice in a Time of War

Frontline investigative reporter Dennis Bernstein and visionary 
writer and historian Aurora Levins Morales are poets on assignment. 
These two extraordinary writers have teamed up to create a stunning 
new anti-war roadshow, a kind of one-on-one political poetry slam, in 
which they each speak directly to events as they unfold, using poetry 
to crack open the news and engage our hearts, minds and voices.

As the nation wrestles with questions of war and peace, terror and 
justice, patriotism and rogue nationhood, they will be touring the 
United States, broadcasting their work as they write it, and engaging 
in poetic conspiracy with local poets across the country, especially 
from Muslim and/or Arab communities and other communities under 
attack.

For more information, or to bring Patriot Acts to your town, contact 
Brandon Lacy-Campos  email:  PatriotActs at aol.com     Tel: 
612.729.2238  or  612.432.7846

Aurora is a former CWLU member and the author of several fine books 
available through our Feminist Marketplace.

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Alice Dan to be honored by the Soroptimist International of Chicago

Alice Dan, Professor Emerita UIC Director of the Center for Research 
on Women and Gender and Professor in College of Nursing will be given 
the Woman Helping Women Award.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organization for women in 
management and professions working through service projects to 
advance human rights and the status of women. Since it was founded in 
1921, Soroptimist International membership has grown to 93,000 
members in 125 countries. Its mission, "to make a difference for 
women," is fulfilled through six programs of service: economic and 
social development, education, environment and health, human 
rights/status of women, and international goodwill and understanding.

Alice has been a strong supporter of the Herstory Project and we 
congratulate her for this honor

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Feminist singer Ginni Clemmens dies in Maui car crash

Ginni Clemmens, the legendary blues and folk singer was killed in a 
car accident on February 15, 2003 on the island of Maui in Hawaii 
where she made her  home. Born Virginia Clemmens on February 28, 
1936, in Evergreen Park, Illinois, Ginni first picked up the guitar 
when she was working with emotionally disturbed children. Ginni  was 
well known to  CWLU members and was very active in the National 
Women's Music Festival.

Ginni had just contacted the Herstory Project about  a week before 
her death to discuss getting together for a sing-a-long this summer. 
She had planned to visit Chicago after the 2003 National Women's 
Music Festival.

For more details on Ginni and her life, visit our Feminist Salon at 
http://www.cwluherstory.com/phpweb/ where we have a much longer 
remembrance that was forwarded to us by her friends in Hawaii.

We join the many people whose lives she  touched in mourning the 
death of this exceptional and talented woman.

Thanks to Kristin Lems for first bringing this to our attention.

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Naomi Weisstein is back home and feeling better

Last issue we  reported that Naomi Weisstein had been hospitalized 
with serious stomach problems. Naomi is back home now and  feeling 
much better. Still battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after over 20 
years, she had a very bad experience with the hospital bureaucracy. 
The hospital's more surreal actions  included ripping down personal 
pictures and copies of Naomi's work. She and her husband Jesse 
Lemisch staged a mini-rebellion  and hope to write up their 
experiences for the Herstory site

Naomi was a founding member of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union 
and the Chicago Women's Liberation Rock Band. She is also the author 
of the  classic feminist work, "Psychology Constructs the Female". A 
scientist by trade, Naomi's pioneering work in visual perception  is 
considered brilliant in her field.

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SO WHAT'S NEW ON THE HERSTORY SITE?

We added  the play "Everywoman", also entitled "The Last of the Red 
Hot Mammas, or the Liberation of Women  as Performed by the Inmates 
of the World" to the Consciousness section of the archive. This very 
original play by Naomi Weisstein, Amy Kesselman, Sherry Jenkins and 
others was first performed at the founding convention of the CWLU in 
1969. There are several versions floating  around. We have one of 
them.  Reviving this play might make a good women's studies project 
because it certainly captures the  spirit of the times.

We added an article from "Black Maria" (the CWLU literary magazine) 
about how to organize consciousness raising groups to the 
Consciousness section of the archive.

The CWLU helped organize a large International Women's Day march in 
1974. We added a report on this event to the Organizing  section of 
the Archive.

The Abortion Defense Fund  was set up to defend the Jane members who 
had been  arrested for performing illegal abortions.  We added a 
letter from the Fund to the Jane Documents section of the Special 
Feature.

We updated our Feminist Salon with several new articles including a 
remembrance of the late Ginni Clemmens, the anti-war protest of a 
woman basketball player, an anti-war statement by the National 
Women's Studies Association and a long blurb about the book "Women, 
Power, and AT&T."

Our new poll question on the Feminist Salon is: "Has feminism become 
a truly multi-racial movement?" Cast your vote and leave a comment on 
this crucial issue.

In our last poll, respondents overwhelmingly supported the idea of a 
new underground abortion movement if abortion is made illegal. All 
polls are archived and you are invited to review them at any time.

Visits to the Herstory site are increasing. Currently, people view an 
average of 1400 pages per day. Last month we served  a total of 
35,000 pages.

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NEW BOOK!

"Women, Power, and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Workplace" by Lois 
Kathryn Herr (Northeastern University Press)

During the 1970's many women entered the corporate world for the 
first time including former 7th grade teacher  Lois Kathyrn Herr. 
The crude sexism she encountered caused her to join with other women 
in a complex battle that involved NOW, the EEOC and their own 
vigorous efforts.  Her inside view of how change really happens in 
the corporate world is still very relevant today.

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WEB SURFIN' WITH THE HERSTORY PROJECT

Here are some web links of interest to feminists. Please send us your 
favorite links. The Internet is a huge place and it's easy to miss 
the buried feminist treasures.

_____________________________________
http://www.redstockings.org/

Redstockings was one of the first women's liberation groups in the 
nation and has recently re-emerged to organize around women's health 
issues. The site also contains a rich archive of classic Redstockings 
writings for sale.

______________________________________
http://www.womanmade.org/

WomanMade  Gallery in Chicago is one of the city's cultural 
treasures. If you can't make the trip to Chicago, visit their online 
gallery to see  digital reproductions of their exhibits

______________________________________
http://www.chicanas.com/

Making Face, Making Soul...is a Chicana Feminist website  with many 
articles and links to other Chicana sites. The webjefa, Susana 
Gallardo, is a religious studies student at Stanford University.

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FEMINIST EVENTS AND ACTION CALENDAR

The University of Illinois at Chicago(UIC) has a fantastic lineup of 
events for Women's History Month

The UIC Office of Women's Affairs is coordinating  a  wide range of 
events for the month of March including appearances by poet Nikki 
Giovanni, health activist Judy Norsigian (Our Bodies, Ourselves), 
sports activist Leslie Heywood, author Aida Hurtado (Voicing Chicana 
Feminisms), poet Terry Wolverton, children's book author Claire 
Hartfield and more. There will also be an exhibit, films, cultural 
presentations and interactive workshops.

The Herstory Project loaned several items for a special exhibit on 
"The Chicago Women's Health Movement" which is already on display at 
the Health Sciences Library, 1750 W. Polk St.

For a complete schedule, please visit http://www.uic.edu/depts/owa

______________________________________
Women and Children First Bookstore has a long list of authors 
visiting during the month of March including Nuala O'Faolin, 
Charmaine Craig, Louise Erdrich, Terry Wolverton, Siri Hustvedt, Toby 
Sonneman and Lois Herr.

Please visit http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com for a complete schedule.

______________________________________
Jan Schakowsky's 2nd Annual Ultimate Women's Power Lunch featuring Nancy Pelosi

March 10th 12:30 pm - 2 pm
Sheraton Hotel,
301 E. North Water Street,  Chicago IL
Tickets start at $50.
RSVP to Alyssa Rapp by phone 847-424-1998 or Jan4Congress at aol.com.

______________________________________
Breastfeeding and Public Health: A talk by Dr. Jacqueline Wolf

Former Chicago activist  Jacqueline Wolf is the author of '"Don't 
Kill Your Baby", a history of breastfeeding and public health 
focusing on Chicago.

March 10th 4:00 pm
UIC School of Public Health Building
Rm 932
1603 W. Taylor,  Chicago IL

______________________________________
Making A Difference For Women sponsored by Soroptimist International of Chicago

Please join this international service organization for an 
inspirational evening honoring  distinguished women  and 
organizations for their work in Advancing the Status of women in our 
community.  Their  scholarship winner will also be recognized. Among 
the honorees is Alice Dan (Professor Emerita UIC Director of the 
Center for Research on Women and Gender and Professor in College of 
Nursing)and Anna Dinh, a student at UIC.

Tuesday March 11, 2003  6 - 6:30 Reception     6:30 - 7:45 Awards Presentation
International College of Surgeons -
1516 N. Lake Shore Dr.  Chicago IL
Parking in Rear - Use side entrance to south of building

Donation: $10.00 to benefit the Genesis House, scholarships, 
community service grants and domestic violence programs.

RSVP: Soroptimist International of Chicago. 
email:sichicago at yahoo.com or call Terry Phillips 312-527-3099

______________________________________
Conference: The impact of the Bush administration on women.

Topics include Women and Militarism; Reproductive Rights; Lesbian 
Rights; Violence Against Women; Economy and Women; Commodification of 
Women; Women's Empowerment.

Saturday, March 15, noon to 5 p.m.
Schmitt Academic Center at DePaul University,
2323 N Seminary, Chicago IL
Refreshments and childcare will be provided.
Suggested donation: $2

______________________________________
Conference on "Our Bodies, Ourselves and the Future of Women's Health"

What does the women's health movement of the 1960's and 1970's have 
to teach us? What are Chicago organizations doing today to improve 
women's health? What impediments and potential threats exist to 
women's health, well-being, and reproductive freedom? What strategies 
can we use to expand woman-centered healthcare and universal access?

Keynote Speaker: Judy Norsigian
Co-author Our Bodies, Ourselves, Co-founder Boston Women's Health 
Book Collective

Panel includes:

Alice Dan, PhD,  UIC  (Moderator)
Courtney Bell, MA,  Chicago Women's Health Center
Evette Cardona,  Amigas Latinas
Kathleen Ennen MS, RN,  Illinois Nurses Association
Claudia Fegan, MD,  Health and Medicine Policy Research Group
Beatriz Ponce de Leon,  Illinois Caucus on Adolescent Health

Wednesday March 26, 2003 	   3-6 pm
  UIC School of Public Health
1603 W. Taylor St. Chicago IL

______________________________________
Writing Labor, Writing Class II: Women Working

The Chicago Center for Working-Class Studies will present "Writing 
Labor, Writing Class II: Women Working" a public poetry and prose 
reading. A reception will precede the program, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 27, 7-9 p.m. at the
Gage Building Gallery at Roosevelt University,
18 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

______________________________________
Working Women's History Project to honor Addie Wyatt

Working Women' History Project Annual Gala
Thursday, March 27 from 6:60 - 9:30
Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan, Congress Lounge, 2nd floor.

This year's Mother Jones Award recipient is Rev. Addie L. Wyatt. 
Rev. Wyatt was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, marching with 
Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Rev. Wyatt worked with Eleanor 
Roosevelt on the National Commission for the Status of Women  during 
the Kennedy years and later became a leader of NOW. In 1974 Rev. 
Wyatt became a founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and 
currently serves as Vice-President emeritus.

The program will also have an appearance by Gospel performer, 
Albertina Walker and a performance by Alma Washington based on the 
life of Rev. Addie L. Wyatt.

Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at door, $13 for students. Make checks 
payable to WWHP, c/o Sue Straus, President, 3161 N Cambridge, #209, 
Chicago, IL, 60657.

For more information call 773-472-2585.

______________________________________
Lois Herr: Women, Power, and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Workplace

Thursday March 27 at 7:30
Women and Children First Books
5233 N. Clark, Chicago

Lois will be talking about her new book that details the battle that 
women waged against the sexism of ATT in the 1970's. She is a former 
member of Chicago NOW.

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LOOKING FOR A JOB OR INTERNSHIP?

Visiting Scholars wanted at Northeastern University in Boston Massachusetts

The Women's Studies Program at Northeastern University annually 
offers Research Associate positions to scholars researching topics on 
women or gender issues. Scholars are in residence for the academic 
year (or shorter) at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Contact: l.wang at neu.edu

______________________________________
Labor history writers needed

The New York Labor History Association (NYLHA) invites submissions of 
articles for its Labor History News Service.  They would like to 
invite submission of articles for distribution. they are now paying 
$100 for each 800-word piece they accept.

If you are interested in submitting one or more articles for this 
series, get in touch with the Labor History News Service editor to 
discuss topics, deadlines, and other details.

Call, write, fax or e-mail:

Patrizia Sione, Kheel Center, 227 Ives Hall, Cornell University, 
Ithaca, NY 14853-3901 Phone (607) 255-3183 Fax (607) 255-9641 E-mail: 
ps39 at cornell.edu

______________________________________

The Feminist Majority Foundation maintains a constantly updated 
database of employers looking for feminists. Visit 
http://www.feminist.org and look for "Career Center" on their 
homepage. They also have a place to post your resume if you are 
looking for a job. They have recently upgraded their career section 
with some very useful features, so check it out if you are on a job 
search.

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Well that's it for this month. Please send us any news about former 
CWLUers, upcoming events and feminist happenings. We depend on you to 
be our eyes and ears. Do you need research assistance? Do you provide 
a service? Do you need a service? Do you have a cool project you need 
help with? Are you looking for a job? Do you have a job to offer? Let 
us know and we'll try to include it. Feminist networking is part of 
what we are about. E-mail infogal at cwluherstory.org with your 
contribution.

CWLU Herstory Website Project
http://www.cwluherstory.org
PO Box 548
Oak Park, IL 60303-0548
708-386-7197
A Project of the University of Illinois
Center for Research on Women and Gender

"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is:
I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express 
sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat."- Rebecca West