Keep Your Stigma: Latina/o Youth Need Support!
Swirl PR is excited to work on the launch of “Justice for Young Families,” an initiative by California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ) to change the dialogue around pregnant and parenting youth from one of blame towards a nuanced discussion that considers the relevant social, cultural, economic, and educational factors.
Check out their first issue brief,” Supporting Latina/o Youth: Strengthening Latina/o Young Families and Communities,” along with their featured blog post, “Keep Your Stigma, Latina/o Youth Need Support,” authored by Marisol Franco, Director of Policy and Advocacy on Alternet and RH Reality Check. 
Protect Pregnant Women: Free Bei Bei!
March 14, 2012, marked the one year anniversary of the incarceration of Bei Bei Shuai, a pregnant woman living in Indiana became so depressed that she attempted to end her own life. With help from friends who intervened, however, she survived. Although Ms. Shuai did everything she could, including undergoing cesarean surgery, to ensure that her baby survived, her newborn died shortly after birth. Ms. Shuai was arrested, charged, and has been held based on the claim that Indiana’s murder statute (death penalty or 45-years-to-life) and attempted feticide statute (up to 20-years) may be used to punish pregnant women who cannot guarantee a healthy birth outcome.
Not only is it unfair and unjust to criminalize pregnant women who are depressed (non-pregnant depressed people often get mental health support) but these laws are being used by a purported “pro-life” movement which aims to control women’s autonomy. If these feticide statutes continue to move forward, pregnant women can be prosecuted for the outcomes of their pregnancies so that women who have miscarriages and stillbirths can be interrogated by police. This is a very slippery slope.
National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) is petitioning the Indiana Attorney General and the Marion County prosecuter to drop all of the charges and release Ms. Shaui. Join the fight via Change.org and follow the developments on Twitter using the hashtag #FreeBeiBei.
National Advocates for Pregnant Women works to secure the human and civil rights, health and welfare of all women, focusing particularly on pregnant and parenting women, and those who are most vulnerable – low income women, women of color, and drug-using women.
Human Services Gets Lots of Love in NYC!
On Valentine’s Day this year, the Who Cares? I Do campaign gathered human service providers across New York City to show their love for human services. What exactly are human services? They are day care and after school programs, domestic violence shelters, senior centers, mental health services, substance abuse counseling and support, job training, homeless shelters and all of the services that keep our communities safe and healthy.
Check out the photos from New Yorkers across the five boroughs who made valentines in appreciation for what human services brings to their lives! Please continue to support the campaign and stay tuned for the latest budget updates on the Who Cares? I Do. on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Unearthing Latina/o Voices
In this summer’s politically charged climate, sexual health and reproductive justice issues continued to garner national attention and much of the discussion is based in stereotypes and misinformation. Case in point: controversial and inflammatory anti-choice billboards targeting women of color made their way to Los Angeles and Oakland claiming that the most dangerous place for Latina and African-American babies is in their mother’s womb.
California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ) was not only part of a state-wide coalition to get the billboards taken down but they released new research directly refuting this propaganda which diverts attention from the real issues that are important to Latinas/os (and communities of color): access to quality health care, good paying jobs to support their families, and significant educational opportunities. Their report, Unearthing Latina/o Voices, examines Latinas’ attitudes and beliefs regarding reproductive and sexual health issues, particularly around pregnancy; pregnant and parenting youth; communication around sexuality; and accessing reproductive and sexual health information and services, including pregnancy termination.
The Center for American Progress featured CLRJ’s research and Director of Policy and Advocacy, Marisol Franco, in a detailed article about the ongoing billboard attacks. In collaboration with MpactPR, we were able to get national attention for this research and its potential to denounce the incendiary rhetoric against Latina women. CLRJ’s Senior Research Coordinator, Ena Susseth Valladares spoke with Michael Eric Dyson about the report and its relevance as reproductive justice continues to be under attack.
We’ll be continuing to update you with the latest from CLRJ and reproductive justice efforts from around the country.
In the Mix: Women, Action & The Media NYC
This spring I had the honor and pleasure to participate in the “Social Media & Activism” panel as part of the Women, Action & The Media (WAM) NYC one-day conference. My brilliant co-panelists (Erica Sackin of Planned Parenthood NYC, Emily May of iHollaback, Sally Mercedes), moderator Jen Nadeau from Time, and I discussed how we engage audiences online to create action both online and offline. All of us have varied experience rallying support around reproductive justice, against budget cuts and street harassment, and for a bevy of social, political and economic causes. What we all recognize is the growing power for online communities to effect change and are all committed to finding the best ways to engage and unite people from around the country and the world.
If I had to sum up the panel with one thing, it would be this joyous video introduced to me by Emily May. In three minutes, it lays out how movements are built by fearless leaders…the kinds of leaders that all of us have the potential to be.
Who Cares About Women & Families? I Do.
It’s been a hectic month in New York as statewide and local budget cuts loom and threaten to devastate social services. We are working on the Who Cares. I Do. campaign in support of human services: day care & after school programs, domestic violence shelters, senior centers, mental health services, homelessness diversion and most services that helps us maintain healthy communities.
A new op-ed in the Gotham Gazette from the Human Services Council, the organization representing hundreds of non-profit service providers throughout New York, points out the disproportionate effects on women, families and young people.
If you haven’t signed the petition, now is the time! Who Cares? I Do. will be rallying this Thursday, March 24 at 9 a.m. with New York City Councilwoman, Annabel Palma, Chair of the General Welfare Committee, to show Mayor Bloomberg that the NYC community supports these critical human services. We are also active on Facebook & Twitter, so join us both online and offline!
Social Media and the End of Gender?
Through the beauty of the Twitterverse (thanks @KatSongPR!), I found this TEDTalk from media researcher Johanna Blakley on social media and the end of gender. While she made some interesting points about leveraging women’s power online, especially through social media, I’m still questioning much of her premise.
I wrote about it on Feministing, check it out and join the discussion! Is there a such thing as the end of gender online? Can women’s dominance of social media really lead to a gender-neutral society?
Social Media Connects Continents
I’m getting really excited for Social Media Week NY coming up next month because there are tons of awesome lectures, panels and networking events gathering folks offline to talk about how we connect online. One event in particular speaks to the global reach of social media as a connector of culture, opening up pathways for understanding and authentic communication. Check out my preview of “This is Africa…How Music and Social Media Are Re-defining A Continent” on the Ladies Lotto blog. Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at Social Media Week!
Happy New Year and Women Owned Business Wednesday!
Happy New Year! It’s been an incredible start to the year so far for Swirl PR, and thus I’m declaring 2o11 the year of the “Women Owned Business!” And this is why…
I’m pleased to announce that we are working with Dr. Nicole Cutts, the “Success Doc,” a success coach and the inspired mind behind “Women Owned Business Wednesdays.” Dr. Cutts has dedicated much of her work to support women entrepreneurs in goal-setting and creating plans to achieve them. She works one-on-one with clients to dissect what is holding them back from taking their dreams to destiny, be it fear, low self-esteem, or a lack of concrete planning. She will be hosting a half-day workshop for women in DC on January 15, “Taking Your Dreams to Destiny: The Next Level” to help ladies create solid action plans and figure out what skills and personalities are within that can help or hurt us as we work to make dreams a reality. I’m really excited to for the conference as I continue to execute my 2011 goals!
Swirl is working hand-in-hand with the fabulous Jacqueline Lara of Mpact PR in Washington DC as we handle the social media and Mpact PR secures great media hits for us to tweet and post. There’s been incredible synergy and I’m thankful for this partnership!
I’m also really excited to announce that Swirl PR is working with Pro-Media Communications, a bicoastal communications firm dedicated to promoting social justice issues through progressive and proactive public relations. I’m honored to work on some incredible projects (coming soon!) coordinating and strategizing social media campaigns. What a blessing to be working with another dynamic women owned business!
Let’s continue to support women owned businesses and women dedicated to uplifting themselves and their communities. Onward and upward in 2011!
What Does A Social Marketing Manager Do?
Social media is still a new kid on the block in terms of gaining respect and understanding as a legitimate (and essential) part of any communications and marketing plan. As more organizations and entrepreneurs understand the power of social media for branding and communicating directly to key audiences, they are making greater efforts to hire employees or companies to handle their social media presence. Believe me when I say maintaining online relationships are time-consuming but can yield major payoffs, both immediate and long-term. When I started to transition away from “traditional PR” and move to social media consulting, it was a hard sell but it’s getting much easier especially with articles like this from The Small Company Blog, a site which I found through Twitter. This article explains what a social marketing manager does and why it’s a wise investment for your business’s future.