|
The
2nd
Annual
Mid-Atlantic
Feminist
Festival
Another
Tidewater
NOW
Success
Where
were
you
the
weekend
of
May
18-20?
If
you
weren’t
at
the
2nd
Annual
Mid-Atlantic
Feminist
Festival,
then
you
missed
a
sensational
weekend
of
education
and
fun
with
you
Virginia
NOW
sisters.
This
year’s
event,
Exposing
Bigotry
in
the
New
Millennium
brought
feminists
from
around
Virginia,
together
to
learn
from
one
another
and
to
enjoy
one
another’s
company.
Tidewater
NOW
hosted
the
event,
which
served
a
dual
purpose,
that
of
the
Mid-Atlantic
Feminist
Festival
and
the
annual
Virginia
NOW
State
Conference.
The
weekend
got
an
upbeat
start
with
a
comedy
show
featuring
Suzanne
Westenhoefer
on
Friday,
May
18.
The
festivities
continued
on
Saturday
with
a
workshop
by
Annie
Barnes,
author
of
Everyday
Racism
and
with
a
luncheon
address
by
Patricia
Ireland,
president
of
NOW
and
author
of
What
Women
Want.
Also
on
Saturday
was
an
engaging
panel
discussion
on
bigotry
and
later
that
day
there
was
a
viewing
of
the
Clothesline
Project
which
demonstrated
t-shirts
from
victims
of
violence.
Completing
Saturday’s
events
was
the
annual
PAC
auction,
which
raises
funds
to
support
Virginia
NOW
PAC
activities
and
election
contributions,
The
PAC
auction
raised
$1700.
On
Sunday,
the
festivities
concluded
with
a
Beach
Party
held
on
the
17th
Street
Park
and
Stage.
Several
female
bands
and
artists
were
featured,
such
as
That
Girl
Band,
Zendiva,
Debra
Guy,
Medusa
Complex
&
Narissa
Bond.
Many
thanks
to
all
those
who
participated
and
gave
a
helping
hand
to
make
this
year’s
festival
a
success
for
Tidewater
NOW
and
the
community
as
a
whole. |
|
The
Tidewater
NOW
Bylaws
Are
Changing
There
will
be
a
meeting
on
Tuesday
August
21,
2001,
to
discuss
and
vote
on
possible
changes
to
the
bylaws.
All
Tidewater
now
members
are
encouraged
to
attend.
Please
review
the
current
bylaws
which
are
inserted
in
the
newsletter.
The
meeting
will
be
held
at
7pm
at
the
YWCA
in
Norfolk,
VA
on
Freemason
Street.
|
|
|
Teaching
Through
Example:
Exposing
Bigotry
in
the
New
Millennium
Panel
Discussion
By:
Stacey
Randolph
"Exposing
Bigotry
in
the
New
Millennium"
was
the
slogan
for
the
annual
Virginia
NOW
conference
this
past
weekend.
The
conference
not
only
aimed
to
talk
about
bigotry
in
today,
but
also
to
offer
some
solutions
to
the
problem.
Providing
helpful
dialogue
and
possible
solutions
to
the
issue
were
a
group
of
five
NOW
panelist
offering
positive
discourse
on
the
issue.
The
panel
discussion
featured
a
multi-racial
panel
with
guest
feminists
Beatriz
Aberman
Susan
Lee,
Emily
McCoy,
Bethsheba
Abeni
Rem,
and
Jagdish
A.
Singh,
and
was
facilated
by
NOW
feminist
Mello
Johnson.
Each
panelist
had
a
few
moments
to
discuss
her
experience
with
bigotry
in
her
own
life,
and
to
offer
some
possible
solutions
to
the
problem,
before
receiving
questions
from
the
audience.
Throughout
the
entire
discussion,
one
message
was
clear,
that
bigotry
was
something
that
many
of
us
deal
with
on
a
regular
basis
despite
our
racial
background.
The
panel,
which
ranged
from
African-American,
Asian,
and
Latino,
to
Caucasian,
offered
a
new
perspective
on
what
many
would
like
to
believe
is
a
resolved
issue.
The
panelists
shared
their
personal
stories
with
us,
some
of
which
were
very
painful,
demonstrating
how
the
damage
from
experiencing
bigotry
can
leave
a
lasting
impression.
Jagdish
A.
Singh
told
a
story
of
her
growing
up
in
India
when
she
was
not
allowed
to
play
with
a
friend
of
hers
because
her
friend
was
labeled
an
‘untouchable’.
Others
discussed
stereotypes
placed
upon
them
because
of
their
race.
Susan
Lee
told
about
how
people
assume
she’s
smart
because
she
is
Chinese.
These
and
other
personal
accounts
did
much
to
demolish
stereotypes
behind
bigotry.
Bigotry
comes
in
all
shapes,
colors,
and
sizes.
It’s
not
just
a
black
and
white
issue,
it
is
something
that
affects
us
all.
Here
are
some
helpful
hints
from
the
panelists
to
help
you
deal
with
the
issue
of
bigotry
in
your
own
community.
What
exactly
is
a
bigot?
-
According
to
Oxford’s
dictionary,
a
bigot
is
an
obstinate
believer
who
is
intolerant
of
others.
What
do
you
do
when
faced
with
a
bigot?
–
We
decide
that
bigoted
behavior
is
acceptable
when
we
say
nothing.
Let
that
person
know
how
that
comment
or
behavior
made
you
feel.
Confront
the
issue
head
on
while
attempting
to
create
a
venue
for
positive
dialogue.
Life
is
a
learning
process,
we
decide
whether
or
not
to
learn
from
our
differences
or
to
let
them
divide
and
conquer
us.
The
irony
of
appreciating
differences
is
the
sad
fact
that
there
is
always
going
to
be
someone
that
is
content
with
being
racist
and
bigoted.
There’s
always
going
to
be
someone
that
is
unwilling
to
change.
What
can
be
done?
-
We
need
to
be
aware
of
when
it
is
a
fight
we
can
win.
The
surest
victory
is
within
oneself.
We
must
be
mindful
of
our
own
actions
in
our
everyday
lives
and
of
how
they
affect
others.
All
panelists
agreed
that
values
begin
in
the
home.
Bigots
aren’t
born
bigots.
They’re
taught
to
be
bigots.
The
very
first
teachers
are
the
parents.
Parents
decide
what
will
and
will
not
be
considered
acceptable
behavior.
If
we
take
an
attitude
of
intolerance
towards
bigotry
itself,
we
will
be
taking
steps
to
heal
old
wounds
from
the
past
and
build
positively
for
the
future.
When
we
pass
on
bigoted
behavior
to
our
children,
we
are
not
only
doing
a
disservice
to
those
different
from
us,
but
we
are
also
affecting
our
own
children.
They
in
turn
will
become
prejudiced
adults
who
will
be
unable
to
relate
to
the
real
world.
Teach
your
children
to
celebrate
all
of
the
likenesses
and
differences
that
the
world
has
to
offer.
Teach
them
to
respectfully
assert
themselves
when
faced
with
a
bigot.
Learn
about
different
cultures
together.
Try
not
to
exclude,
but
include
those
of
different
cultures
in
your
culture.
Invite
them
to
your
cultural
gatherings,
teach
them
your
history,
and
be
willing
to
learn
from
theirs.
Reality
is,
that
the
world
is
made
up
of
people
who
are
different.
And
if
someone
is
not
living
in
your
skin,
then
they
will
be
different
from
you
in
some
way,
no
matter
what
their
race.
We
must
learn
to
live
together
as
human-beings.
If
one
human-being
is
being
devalued,
then
we
as
human-beings
are
also
being
devalued.
Respect
is
due
to
all
of
God’s
creations
no
matter
who
they
maybe
in
regards
to
us.
When
we
do
justice
to
all
of
God’s
creations,
we
do
justice
to
ourselves. |
|
Tidewater
NOW
Has
New
Officers
As
we
say
goodbye
to
those
officers
that
took
us
through
another
great
year,
we
are
blessed
with
the
ability
to
reflect
on
all
of
the
hardships
and
accomplishments
that
they
have
seen
us
through
at
Tidewater
NOW.
To
all
of
those
who
will
not
be
returning,
your
presence
was
greatly
needed
and
appreciated,
and
you
will
be
sorely
missed.
Yet
as
our
previous
officers
step
down,
we
look
to
the
future
and
welcome
our
new
officers
that
will
lead
us
for
the
year
to
come
at
Tidewater
NOW.
As
of
June
19,
2001,
the
new
officers
are:
Co-Presidents:
Brita
Hampton
and
Rosemarie
Morehead
Treasurer:
Bobbi
Gallegos
At-Large
(Media):
Mary
Roberson
At
Large
(Coalition
Liaison):
Tina
Policastro
Public
Relations-Member-at-Large:
Lorraine
Baysek
Reproductive
Freedom
Task
Force
Chairperson:
Mary
Roberson
Newsletter
Editor:
Stacey
Randolph
Lesbian
Rights
Task
Force
Chairperson:
Bobbi
Gallegos
The
offices
of
Vice
President,
Secretary,
and
Activist-Member-at-Large
are
still
open.
NOW
a
New
President…
By
Connie
Hannah
Tidewater
NOW
members
were
among
the
delegates
to
NOW's
annual
conference
in
Philadelphia
from
June
28th
to
June
30th.
The
2001
National
Conference
of
the
National
Organization
for
Women
(NOW)
featured
leadership
training
and
skills
building
sessions,
and
was
also
the
scene
of
the
election
of
NOW's
four
new
Executive
Officers.
Virginia
NOW
endorsed
FUN
(Feminists
United
for
NOW):
Kim
Gandy,
Karen
Johnson,
Olga
Vives,
and
Terry
O'Neill
and
brought
at
least
44
of
their
49
delegate
slots
to
help
elect
the
winning
team.
FUN
also
had
the
support
of
incumbent
President
Patricia
Ireland
at
the
historic
conference
in
Philadelphia.
Reflecting
the
widely-held
belief
that
George
W.
Bush
was
"selected"
by
the
Supreme
Court,
not
"elected"
by
the
voters,
NOW
voters
proudly
proclaimed
the
LEGAL
election
of
OUR
new
President:
Kim
Gandy.
Bumper
stickers
announcing
"My
President
is
Kim
Gandy"
were
visible
throughout
the
conference
site
following
Sunday's
announcement
of
the
election
results.
Contact
Connie
Hannah
(451-0885,
or
cjh@exis.net)
to
obtain
your
bumper
sticker!
($2.00
each,
3
for
$5.00).
|
 YARD
SALE
September
15,
2001
All
donations
are
accepted.
Call
to
schedule
a
pick-up
for
your
donations.
456-1509
Yard
Sale
location
to
be
announced.
|
|
Up
Coming
Event
The
Sisterhood
of
One
A
gathering
of
all
women
who
want
to
have
more
women
in
elected
office.
Where:
Catholic
Church
of
the
Ascension
4853
Princess
Anne
Road
Virginia
Beach,
Virginia
When:
September
30,
2001
2
p.m.
‘til
5
p.m.
More
information
in
the
next
issue |
Girls
Rock
Coming
In
August
Contact
www.tidewaternow.org
for
more
information
|
