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Our Vision
To achieve a society based upon the feminist values of social, political, racial and economic gender equality.
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FROM THE SBWPC PRESIDENT’S DESK
Paula Lopez
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January 2023 began as a stark reminder of how little we have accomplished in curbing the gun violence that has plagued our country and our state. It was also a reminder of how much farther we have to go. 40 mass shootings were committed and more than 60 people died.
While it was a coast-to-coast phenomenon, two of the deadliest shootings occurred here in California, just
two days apart. We must continue to call upon our legislators to pass gun safety laws that protect communities and our families throughout our state and our nation. February is Black History Month, a month to celebrate the achievements of African Americans. This year the celebration takes on added significance as the movement to prohibit teaching or discussing race in our schools has picked up steam. According to Education Week, at least 42 states have passed or introduced legislation containing restrictions on talking about race in schools. For more information on Black History Month events intended to highlight and
celebrate the accomplishments of the Black Community in our area check out
JuneteenthSB.org.
March brings our next significant event thanks to the great efforts of our Past Presidents. Get your tickets now for the President’s Circle Luncheon on March 31. Campaign Communications Consultant Sarah Leonard Sheehan will be this year’s speaker and I suspect it will sell out quickly! Finally I’d like to thank all who came out to the 2023 SBWPC Annual Members Meeting on January 29th. It was a great turnout of our members committed to promoting the feminist agenda in our community. Personally I came away energized and motivated to get to work on improving the lives of women and other underrepresented populations. Thank you for all your work to that end and for your commitment to join together in our future endeavors.
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ANNOUNCING WOMEN’S JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS | | |
THE SBWPC HONORS BLACK HISTORY MONTH | | |
READ SBWPC’S OP ED COMMENTING ON KAMALA HARRIS’ ELECTION AS US VICE PRESIDENT:
Respect for Women in Politics Remains in Short Supply by the former Presidents of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee:
Summary: Respect for Vice President Kamala Harris, the first female and woman of color to hold this position, and someone positioned to run for President in 2024, is often in short supply. We are deeply concerned about the barrage of what we see as “hit pieces” that seem to undermine her success and thereby her future political path. As former presidents of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee, a feminist PAC now in its 34th year, we celebrated her election as VP.
Read The Independent Article Here
BLACK WOMEN IN CONGRESS:
Of the 143 women serving in the 117th U.S. Congress, 49, or 34.3%, are women of color; in addition, a Black woman, a Latina, an Asian Pacific Islander, and a Caribbean American woman serve as Delegates to the House from Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands, respectively. Women of color constitute 9.2% of the total 535 members of Congress. The record high for women of color serving in Congress was 52, set between January 3, 2021, and January 18, 2021. 3 black women serve in the US Senate as of January 3, 2021, and January 18, 2021.
Black Women in Statewide Office: Of 94 women who are Statewide elective executives, 10 identify as Black. 72 women identify as white, 8 identify as Latina, 4 identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander, 1 identifies as Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian.
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REGISTER FOR THE PRESIDENTS’ CIRCLE LUNCHEON | | | |
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Campaign Communications Consultant Sarah Leonard Sheahan will headline the Presidents Circle Luncheon on Friday March 31st at SOHO, 11:30-1:30. Sheahan’s topic is “Confronting the Right-Wing Narrative – and Winning!” She will address many issues related to the current political climate that affect campaign strategies including the “cancel culture,” the power of social media to spread disinformation and campaign messaging, specifically how to frame the issues so that feminist candidates can be successful. The luncheon is produced by the former presidents of the organization.
To register, go to www.sbwpc.org/events and “Register Here”
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES:
BOOKS, ARTICLES, & FILMS
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For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore with Veronica Chambers, foreword by Stacey Abrams.
Summary: The authors, four of the most powerful African American women in politics, share the story of their friendship and how it has changed politics in America. The lives of black women in American politics are remarkably absent from the shelves of bookstores and libraries.
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics is a sweeping view of American history from the vantage points of four women who have lived and worked behind the scenes in politics for over thirty years—Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore—a group of women who call themselves The Colored Girls. Like many people who have spent their careers in public service, they view their lives in four-year waves where presidential campaigns and elections have been common threads. For most of the Colored Girls, their story starts with Jesse Jackson’s first campaign for president. From there, they went on to work on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama, and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Over the years, they’ve filled many roles: in the corporate world, on campaigns, in unions, in churches, in their own businesses and in the White House. Through all of this, they’ve worked with those who have shaped our country’s history—US Presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and historical figures such as Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Betty Shabazz. Hear the four authors discuss their book at the January 2019 Politics and Prose event.
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Master Slave Husband Wife, by Ilyon Woo.
The saga of Ellen and William Craft shows the ingenuity and
intellectual sophistication required to escape the clutches of slavery. Through daring, determination, and disguise,
Ellen changed her appearance to pass as a wealthy, disabled white man and William posed as “his” slave and
caregiver. The idea that they became abolitionists at great risk is hugely important, showing the idea of linked fate.
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Between Two Worlds: Black Women and the Fight for Voting Rights, Meghan Bailey (Forest Service).
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Black women played an active role in the struggle for universal suffrage, participating in political meetings and organizing political societies. African American women attended political conventions at
their local churches where they planned strategies to gain the right to vote.
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FILMS:
Hidden Figures: Watch this inspiring film about three brilliant African American women at NASA -- Katherine
Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. They serve as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn
into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nations confidence, turned around the Space Race and
galvanized the world.
And Still I rise: Distinctly referred to as “a redwood tree, with deep roots in American culture,” icon Maya Angelou
gave people the freedom to think about their history in a way they never had before.
The Color Purple: This film remains an enduring tale of the strength of the human spirit in spite of enormous
suffering as well as the power of sisterhood, and the importance of learning about one’s agency. Many powerful
Black women are represented in this film.
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