The Women of Color Zines was a moving presentation, a safe space created for womyn of color to talk about why personal expression is so vital, distribution challenges, and weighing the advantages of sharing your soul with the world.
The Women of Color Blogger’s Caucus was held at 12noon. Women of Color may be amazing, but they also need to eat. Many of us jumped from session to session with little in our bellies to absorb every possible available moment. To see and meet so many great women was just downright joyous. The hour sped by and we vowed to continue the conversation over dinner. Besides, it was time for:
Hijacking the Master’s Tools, a panel to talk about how online organizing can be used for activism. Another AMAZING group of folks from Ubuntu, Broken Beautiful Press, and A.H. Simmons (NO! Director). At this point of the afternoon, Fabulosa Mujer, Blackamazon, Ubuntu, and BFP had not eaten. It was almost 2pm and our minds had been working in over drive. To say we were ravenous would be an understatement. Let’s put it like this: WE HAD PIZZA DELIVERED TO THE DOOR OF THE WORKSHOP. Yep, the pizza delivery person even knocked, and Fabulosa was kind enough to walk back into the room with a gigantic pizza in hand as if we were partying in a frat house and walking into a conference room with pizza was the most natural thing in the world. When WOC need food, NOTHING will stop us.
I then attended Empowering Our Communities Through Oral History, presented by Filipina Emily Lawsin. You know the hour is gonna be pretty sweet when she welcomes late comers with, “Come on in! Find a seat, it’s the Pinay hour. You know it!” She is a professor, spoken poet, and centers everything on Filipino/Asian-American culture. Thrilling. Simply thrilling to just be in the know, even if only for a little while, effortlessly.
There were amazing resources everywhere today. Tables, info, pins, bumper stickers, and media of all sorts contributed to the infectious energy.