[Herstory] August-Sept CWLU Herstory E-Zine

Wed Sep 1 00:05:46 EDT 2004

Hello: Welcome to the August-September  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 the links 
from our homepage or the Book section of the Marketplace. Look for 
the  Women and Children First logo. It's a great way to buy gifts and 
we'll will earn a small but much needed commission.

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Ruth Surgal 1937-2004

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Ruth 
Surgal.  Only last Saturday, Ruth attended the Midwest Conference of 
the Veteran Feminists of America to meet her old friends and 
colleagues and plan how to continue the fight for gender equality.

Ruth was one of the organizers of the Abortion Counseling Service of 
Women's Liberation. Better known as "Jane", it was an underground 
abortion network in Chicago that performed over 11,000 abortions in 
the days before Roe vs. Wade. Jane was a workgroup of the Chicago 
Women's Liberation Union which was one of the major feminist groups 
in Chicago in the 1970's. The story of this remarkable organization 
has been told in a book, a documentary film and a stage play. You may 
find more information about Jane at 
http://www.cwluherstory.com/CWLUFeature/feature.html.

Ruth was more than a courageous organizer and fighter for women's 
rights. She was also a good friend and mentor to many people in 
Chicago. In recent years she taught ceramics at the Lille Street 
Studio and ran a boarding house for students at the University of 
Chicago.

Ruth was also an active member of the CWLU Herstory Project 
(www.cwluherstory.org), which is documenting the history of the 
women's liberation movement in Chicago. Despite her many family and 
personal responsibilities, Ruth always seemed to find the time to 
talk to young students about her experiences in the women's 
liberation movement.

Those of us who knew Ruth mourn her passing and are determined to 
carry on the legacy that she has left to us. Good bye Ruth, you 
touched so many lives in such a positive way.

Services for Ruth Surgal will be held--

Sunday, Sept 5, 2004, 10:30 am
KAM Israel Isaiah Synagogue
5039 S. Greenwood (corner of 51st Street), Chicago

Everyone who wishes to speak at the service should contact Ruth's 
daughter Jennifer Surgal by Friday --
email - jsurgal at yahoo.com
phone -  773-454-9514

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MIDWEST VETERAN FEMINISTS OF AMERICA HOLDS A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE  IN CHICAGO

Over 200 feminists assembled  for the "Unfinished Business of the 
Women's Movement" conference in Chicago on  August 28-29. The 
conference opened with  an awards banquet on Friday night at the 
Chicago Athletic Club which honored more than 71 Midwest feminists. 
The next day, there was an all-day session of speeches and small 
group discussions at the University of Illinois at Chicago, The 
entire weekend was dedicated to the memory of  Wisconsin activist 
Gene Boyer.

The conference was both a reunion for second wave feminists in the 
Midwest and a strategy session for the future.  Among the many 
speakers were Carol Moseley Braun, Willie Barrow, Addie Wyatt, 
Muriel Fox, Sara Evans, Mary Lynn Myers, Heather Booth, Mary Jean 
Collins, Veronica Arreola and Jan Shakowsky.

A number of former CWLUers attended. Former CWLUers Naomi Weisstein, 
Margaret Schmid, Vivian Rothstein, Jenny Knauss, Amy Kesselman, 
Judith Keegan Gardiner, Robin Kauffman, Estelle Carol and Heather 
Booth received special recognition at the Friday night banquet.

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HEALTH ACTIVIST JENNY KNAUSS HAS A WEBSITE: ALZHEIMER'S SPOKEN HERE

Jenny Knauss has dedicated much of her life to working for gender 
equality and a better health care system. She was one of the key 
organizers of the CWLU women's health initiatives and was a leader of 
the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health for over 20 years.

Jenny has Alzheimer's disease and is now a leader of  Alzheimer's 
Spoken Here, Inc., an Illinois not-for-profit corporation. Their 
mission  is to produce educational materials and maintain their 
educational web site.

To learn more about  Alzheimer's Spoken Here, Inc and to make a 
donation, please visit http://alzsh.net/

*********************************
RAIN AND THUNDER: A RADICAL FEMINIST JOURNAL IS SEEKING CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributions on any and all radical feminist topics and 
issues, which may include, but are not limited to theory, opinion, 
strategy, action updates, news, reviews, and upcoming events. 
Artwork, cartoons, photos, and poetry are  welcome.

Individual subscriptions are on a sliding scale. Institutional 
subscriptions are $30/year. No one will be refused a subscription for 
lack of money

For more information or to subscribe please contact:
Rain and Thunder
P.O. Box 71883
Oakland, CA 94612
rainandthunder at yahoo.com

*********************************
THE HERSTORY BANK ACCOUNT IS LOW -- REMIND FRIENDS TO BUY POSTERS FOR 
HOLIDAY GIFTS

We've spent most of our money on reprinting the Women' Graphics 
Collective posters. Please remind your friends, relatives and 
colleagues about our poster reprints in 3 sizes, t-shirts, and 
refrigerator magnets. You can access the online store from the 
Herstory Project homepage (www.cwluherstory..org). Click on "Buy 
Feminist Posters"

*********************************
CHICAGO WOMEN'S HEALTH MOVEMENT HISTORY POWERPOINT SHOW

The CWLU Herstory Project's Health History Committee has a new 
PowerPoint presentation on the history of women's health activism in 
Chicago between 1968 and 1980. We will present it as the keynote at 
the College of DuPage women's history month conference in March 2005. 
It was first presented at the conference of the Midwest Feminist 
Historians last June at Loyola University. The slideshow runs 30 to 
45 minutes.

***************************
THE PREMIERE ISSUE OF WORLD PULSE MAGAZINE IS OUT

World Pulse is a new magazine about women and children are 
transforming our world. It addresses the under-representation of 
women and children in the international news media -- as subjects, 
reporters, quoted experts, and decision makers.  Issue #1 focuses on 
global security.

For more information, please visit their website at 
http://www.worldpulsemagazine.com/

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THE HERSTORY PROJECT WOULD LIKE TO PARTY!

We would like to have an informal party for all former CWLUers, their 
friends and partners some time after the November election. A potluck 
is preferred. If we can't find a house big enough we will rent a 
event room near the "L" and abundant free parking. The favored date 
is Saturday, November 6th starting around 3 or 4 pm. If you are 
interested in helping organize this get-together or can suggest a 
space, e-mail infogal at cwluherstory.org.

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SO WHAT'S NEW ON THE HERSTORY SITE?

We've been pretty busy helping the Midwest Veteran Feminists of 
America with their August conference, so there is not a lot to report.

Our GrrlSmarts section is revamped and back online. We hope to use it 
to help primary and secondary school students with their feminist 
history projects. We have some research hints and a feminist FAQ up 
now. Any suggestions from teachers and students about how we could 
improve this section would be much appreciated.

***************************
BOOK!

THE SOCIALIST FEMINIST PROJECT edited by Nancy Holmstrom is a 
collection of modern essays about socialist feminism. Although 
sometimes regarded as a historical relic, Nancy Holmstrom maintains 
that socialist feminism is an ongoing project that is alive and well 
today.

***************************
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://feminism.meetup.com/
Meet other local women who are interested in the topic of Feminism. 
Discuss current issues, such as equal rights, politics, and standing 
up for what you believe in!
______________________________________
http://www.feministsf.org/femsf/
A well organized site devoted to feminist science fiction, fantasy and utopia.
______________________________________
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subjects/blackfeminism/
A resource for the study of Black feminism.

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FEMINIST EVENTS AND ACTION CALENDAR

Women and Children First Bookstore has some fine events scheduled for 
September including  appearances by Diane Wilson, Marjane Satrapi, 
Evelyn White, Debran Rowland, Esmeralda Santiago, Emma Donoghue, The 
Sweat Girls, and Audrey Niffenegger

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

______________________________________
Chicago NOW Annual Fundraiser

Women Who Dared: Wave of Change
Thursday, September 30, 2004
6 pm
High Risk Gallery, 1113 W Belmont, Chicago
Cocktail reception, silent auction, and awards presentation

HONORING
Hedy Ratner, Bella Abzug Woman of Honor Award
Deborah Mell, Activist of the Year Award

Tickets $65 (reduced price available)
WAVE of CHANGE Sponsorship Levels
first wave          over $1000
second wave       $501 - 1000
third wave          $500

Contact: http://www.chicagonow.org   312-578-9351   cnowweb at yahoo.com
______________________________________

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LOOKING FOR A JOB OR INTERNSHIP?

______________________________________
Service Employees International Union is Seeking Midwest Organizers

  SEIU has openings for both entry-level and experienced organizers 
throughout the Midwest. Union organizers discuss working conditions 
with people in their homes or workplaces, and assist them as they 
campaign for a union at their work site. We're hiring activists to 
help nursing home workers, janitors and security guards, public 
employees like Head Start workers and hospital employees organize, 
people who often don't even have healthcare for themselves or their 
families.

Their Organizer-In-Training Program gives new organizers extensive 
training and placement throughout the union, primarily in our locals, 
with great opportunities for career advancement.

Positions are available nationwide on an ongoing basis. Starting 
salary ranges from mid-$20K to low $30K, with benefits. EOE. Women, 
people of color, and bilingual people are encouraged to apply. See 
the SEIU website for more information: http://www.seiu.org.

To apply, send cover letter and resume to Maria Svart at:  email 
svartm at seiu.org.

  ______________________________________
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.

***************************
THAT'S IT FOR THIS ISSUE

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
infogal at 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
http://www.uic.edu/depts/crwg/

"We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert 
Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have 
long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on 
which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster." - 
Rachel Carson
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