Kathy P at Courthouse Square June 24, National Women's Strike
on 2nd anniversary of Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade (R. Dwan photo)

July 2024

Contents

1.   CA NOW Conference - Only One Month Away on August 10th!

2.   Juneteenth Celebration

3.   News on Rosita Stevens-Holsey

4.   Women's Spaces' Corner

5.   New Petaluma Museum Exhibit!

6.   Member Get-to-Know-You Invitation

7.   July Meeting Information

Hello NOW Friends!
 

1. Our state conference is August 10th, 9 Am to 6:30 PM! The theme is "Moving Forward and Igniting Change." This year the conference will be held in Santa Rosa, at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses. It's a day of action! We are excited to have as panelists, leaders in Sonoma County and beyond: Molly Murphy McGregor, Hester Kim, and MaDonna Feather Cruz. We will also have workshops, activities, and a social time at the end. We expect people from all over the state to attend and we hope you will come! In addition, the conference will be a hybrid one, though attending in-person is preferable.

The conference is free; donations are welcome. We do each need to register so the organizers know how many to plan for. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. For more information on the conference click here, and to register click here - it is free, . 

Since this is so close to home for many of us, we have an opportunity to help in a variety of ways. One important role is running the Zoom side; another is being a moderator on Zoom. Besides those two roles, there is a wide range of assistance to give, such as setting up, registering attendees, and/or cleaning up. If you have special skills, please let us know of them! There are more details in the official state conference volunteer image below. You can use the QR code or click here to link to the volunteer form.

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2. Santa Rosa held a wonderful Juneteenth Parade and Festival on June 15th, filled with great music, dancing, speeches, and a host of vendors. The photo below shows some of the planning committee with their Gold Resolution from the County Board of Supervisors, as well as two (unnamed) representatives from Sutter, who helped sponsor the event. Besides the two Sutter reps, from left to right are Chris Coursey, Supervisor, District 3; Tina Rogers; Elaine B. Holtz; Nancy Rogers and daughter Natalie Rogers. Photo courtesy of Michael Jean Guillory.
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3. Rosita Stevens-Holsey is being presented with a Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, the State University of New York (SUNY), in Cortland, during a reunion at the school July 11-14. To quote Rosita,

"My heart swelled to read that the work I have been doing to uplift the legacy of my aunt, Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, was a principal component in the deciding factor when bestowing this accolade upon me. Mentioned was my work as a board member with the Pauli Murray Center of History and Social Justice and the book, Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist & Civil Rights Activist, (co-authored with Terry Catasús Jennings). My founding and being President of Preserving Pauli Murray, LLC and my involvement with the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians as the organization's Vice President was cited, as well. The Alumni Association indicated that my work for women's history, especially Black women's history, heavily influenced this decision. Noted was my work as a contributor, supporter and Executive Vice President of the National Women's History Alliance (NWHA), the organization responsible for establishing Women's History Month, and a founder of the Black Women's History Committee of the NWHA. My speaking engagements, both virtual and in-person, were an important factor, as well as, my travel to schools, churches, organizations, private functions and/or sit for interviews, Zoom presentations, panels, special events, etc."

Congratulations, Rosita!

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4. Women's Spaces Corner

Women’s Spaces, hosted by Elaine B. Holtz had the honor of doing several important shows that she has hosted and wants to share with you. All shows are archived on: www.womensspaces.com

Photo by Martha McCoy

On Monday July 1, 2024, the show features Dr. Raquel Holmes (shown above), founder of the Freedom Festival. This is the second year the Freedom Festival happened. You can listen to the interview on https://www.womensspaces.com/ArchiveWSA24/WSA240701.html

The Freedom Festival runs from Juneteenth (June 19) to Independence Day (July 4). The festival includes events across the U.S., both in-person and online, featuring conversations on freedom, justice, and liberty, and celebrating Black activists and artists. It also offers music, games, and opportunities to play. Additionally, we’ll learn about Opal Lee, who advocated for Juneteenth to become a national holiday, which was achieved in 2021.

Monday, July 8, 2024, 11 AM PT # repeats 11 PM PT, the show will feature guest Sherry Glazer, Entertainer and Tarot Reader. Sherry is also an author with Kym Trippsmith of the book, “Mama's First Pocket Chicktionary,” Radio KBBF 89.1 FM, North SF Bay or live streaming at https://kbbf.org/live. This show will be in the archives by July 10.

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5. The Petaluma Historical Library and Museum has begun a new exhibit, which runs from July 5 through August 25, and is entitled, "Her Side of the Story: Tales of California Pioneer Women". For more information, click here.

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6. Calling all members! We'd love to get to know you better. We are looking for submissions to appear in the newsletter, such as a short bio, an event you wish NOW members to attend, an article you find important and think our readers would appreciate, a poem you've created, even a photo of you. Up to two submissions per member allowed at a time and these will be published at the discretion of the editor. Please send submissions to info@nowsonoma.org. Our newsletter deadline is the 25th of each month. We hope to hear from you!

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7. Our next meeting:

July 15, 2024 Zoom Details
7:00-8:30 p.m. PDT
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82846374496?pwd=WlA0cE5CaFczUUtqa1Nkc2tYQXkydz09
Meeting ID: 828 4637 4496 Passcode: 035853

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If you are interested in joining our board, please write to info@nowsonoma.org. We'd love to be able to do more in the county and need your skills for many different types of special projects, including planning upcoming events, particularly as we consider how we might further partner with the NAACP and other organizations.

—Amy Nykamp, President