On May 20th, get ready for a one-of-a-kind online event honoring female movers and shakers with some moving and shaking of your own. The first-ever Feminist Block Party is an online dance party and fundraiser for critical nonprofits and community organizations run by women of color, supporting those organizations in the nation’s communities most heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Hosted by the Ms. Foundation for Women, Roar for Women: A Feminist Dance Party will include notes from guest speakers, leaders from the Ms. Foundation, influencers, and organization spokespeople from across the country, including the 2020 Women of Vision Honorees.
After a 60-minute livestream from featured speakers, the event will conclude with special performances and a multi-hour, DJ-hosted dance party as participants raise money for critical organizations in communities hit the hardest by coronavirus — all from the comfort of our own homes!
“We are thrilled to host Roar for Women: A Feminist Block Party – the first online event of its kind to celebrate women during this critical moment,” says Teresa C. Younger, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women. “Even though we may be physically apart as we practice social distancing, we’re excited to bring feminists together in spirit to hear from incredible leaders and influencers, including those on the frontlines of grassroots efforts to support all women. Now more than ever it’s important for us to inspire one another to continue the fight for gender equity, because we are all in this together.”
Attendees at this free, unticketed event will hear from Younger, as well as high-profile activists like Gloria Steinem and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Speakers also include Staceyann Chin, Aubrie Sellers, Toshi Reagon, and BETTY.
Performers include Forbes 30 Under 30 member Madame Gandhi, an artist and activist who celebrates gender liberation through music, and Spinderella, once part of the hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa and now a prolific DJ and hip-hop artist.
Support for the event comes from a wide range of corporate and philanthropic sponsors, including the Dobkin Family Foundation, Michael Stars, The Starry Night Fund, and Morgan Stanley.
In “normal” times, the Ms. Foundation honors grassroots leaders, influencers, and philanthropists who strive for change on the front lines of their communities. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Foundation has cancelled the live bestowal of the Annual Gloria Awards, and will instead honor the 2020 Women of Vision honorees during the online event.
This year’s honorees are Jessica González-Rojas (Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, 2011-2017), Pabitra Benjamin (Executive Director, Adhikaar), Mónica RamÃrez (Founder, Esperanza: The Immigrant Women’s Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center), and Tokata Iron Eyes (activist and student, Standing Rock Sioux tribe).
To register for this free event, simply RSVP on the Ms. Foundation website. You can learn more about the event here. Be sure to follow along on social media with the hashtag #RoarForWomen, and join the livestream at 7:00 PM ET on May 20, 2020!
About the Ms. Foundation: For 45 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has worked to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. The Ms. Foundation invests in, and strengthens the capacity of women led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural, and economic change in the lives of women. With equity and inclusion as the cornerstones of true democracy, the Ms. Foundation works to create a world in which the worth and dignity of every person are valued, and power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.
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