Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 12/20/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz and first guest Celeste Austin on Tribute to Vince Harper and Lament for County Black Leadership Exodus; and second guest Susan Jensen on Small Businesses Coping with Covid and Reining in Holiday Gift-Giving, has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North SF Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 12/20/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 12/22/2021 at 11 AM.
Subscribe for Podcasts of the Women’s Spaces Radio Show The shows since December 2019 are available by podcast. Subscribe by clicking the name of the service below and, once on the page, click the Subscribe button:
1. Our first guest Celeste Austin is accompanied by her partner Linda Jackson. Celestereads a tribute she wrote for Vince Harper, the beloved Sonoma County community leader who just passed away, and who worked almost 30 years for Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County. Celeste also reads a piece called We Are Here, which she wrote as a statement of her feelings about racism and the fact that black members of our community in vital leadership positions are leaving our community.
About our Guest Celeste Austin: Celeste is a local activist in Sonoma County, especially in helping women and children from entering homelessness. She has worked many years at The Living Room in Santa Rosa, Celeste is presently employed by the InterFaith Shelter Network (IFSN) in Sonoma County. She is a member of Sonoma County Blacks United.
About our Guest Linda Jackson: Linda is a Registered Nurse in Sonoma County.
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2. Our second guest Susan Jensen, as a small business owner, gives her perspective on how the small businesses are doing coping with the pandemic restrictions. Susan and her mom Elaine talk a bit about some of the changes the family is making this year to celebrate Christmas and the joy of giving without being overwhelmed in consumerist excesses.
About our Guest Susan Jensen: Susan is a partner in the ownership of Economy Plumbing in Santa Rosa. She is the daughter of our host Elaine B. Holtz, and the mother of two children and grandmother to two more. Susan is an avid Soccer player and plays with a local team. She lives with her husband David Jensen in Santa Rosa.
December 24, 1951 (1998) – Marsha Gomez, activist, used pottery and sculpture from her Choctaw ancestry to teach and further demand rights for indigenous women of many cultures, achieved NGO status for indigenous women in the United Nations, began the Foundation for a Compassionate Society with a group of about 20 artists.
December 25, 1806 (1875) – Martha Wright, called the first Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848 with her sister Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Stanton and others, president of women’s conventions in 1855 in Cincinnati, Saratoga, and Albany, a founder of the American Equal Rights Association in 1866, continued working for equal suffrage during Civil War.
December 25, 1821 (1912) – Clara Barton, founder and president of American Red Cross, 1881-1904.
The 2021 Peace & Justice Center’s Annual Awards Online Ceremony of 11/13/2021 can be viewed online at the Center’s youtube channel:https://youtu.be/cwoTmx6CjRE
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Swing Low Sweet Chariot, sung by Etta James, from the album All American Gospel ( 2012 X5 Music Group).
Happy Xmas, The War is Over. Sung by: Sarah McLachlan, from the album Winter Song (2006 Arista Records LLC A Unit of Sony BMG Music Entertainment).
Let there Be Peace by Becky Hobbs from the album Songs from the Road of Life (2011 Beckaroo Records)
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For music purchasing opportunity, supporting the artists:
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 12/13/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz and guests Mary Moore and Lois Perlman on Writing Mary’s Memoirs and Reflecting on her Social Activism, has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North SF Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 12/13/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 12/15/2021 at 11 AM.
Subscribe for Podcasts of the Women’s Spaces Radio Show The shows since December 2019 are available by podcast. Subscribe by clicking the name of the service below and, once on the page, click the Subscribe button:
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: I have two special guests joining me on the phone, Mary Moore and Lois Perlman. I met Mary many years ago when she organized the Bohemian Grove protest here in Sonoma County. We will be talking about her life as an activist and the writing of her memoirs with Lois Perlman, an activist, as well.
2. Our guests Mary Moore and Lois Perlman talk about writing the memoirs of Mary Moore, and share highlights of Mary’s life as an activist. Mary shares the difficult time of having her children taken from her because of her early anti-racism activism and having Black men come over to the house, which was objected to by her now former husband. Mary emphasizes that one must neglect one “ism” for another, that racism, sexism and classism are related. Classicism is why Mary focused her attention on the Bohemian Grove and its annual gathering of the rich and powerful men, and she organized annual protests at their gates near Monte Rio. Lois is going over 800 binders that Mary has assembled over the years in her archive, which has been promised to the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, to help weave the memoirs.
About our Guest Mary Moore: Born in San Luis Obispo in 1935, Mary Moore has been a social justice activist since 1962 focusing on issues or racism, sexism, and classism. In the late ‘seventies she organized a statewide network to stop Diablo Canyon and Rancho Secco nukes. She co-founded the Bohemian Grove Action Network in 1980 to raise awareness of the elite and small network of men with outsized influence that gather annually at Bohemian Grove in Sonoma County. In the late 1990s, there was a spate of police killings here in Sonoma County, Mary along with many others did a lot of local organizing which led to the US Commission on Civil Rights to hold hearings in Sonoma County. A presentation there on the local deaths attracted national attention.
In 1997 Mary was one of the co-founders of the Sonoma County Free Press and kept it going for over 10 years and continue to stay involved. Mary was also involved in the Women’s Movement and is one of the co-founders of the radio show, “Voices De Mujeres,” on KBBF 89.1FM which is still on the air every Saturday from 1-2pm.
She is currently working on an archives project for the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, Calif. and is currently writing her memoirs/book called, Unfit Mother,” in collaboration with Lois Perlman. Unfortunately, due to her activism Mary lost Custody of her three children which will be covered in her book. Along with her activism she is a dedicated mother and grandmother, her motto is, “if you want peace you must work for justice.”
About our Guest Lois Perlman: Lois Perlman is a theater artist, director, community activist, and a co-founder of North Coast Coalition for Palestine. You may have seen her perform at a number of local theaters, and she also directed several plays, including “My Name is Rachel Corrie.” As an activist she was part of a group that convinced the people of Sacramento to shut down the Rancho Seco nuclear power plant. In the 1990s she worked with Act Up Sonoma County to provide public funding for HIV/AIDS services and to proclaim a county-wide Gay Pride Day. At present she is helping Mary Moore write her memoirs.
December 10, 1869 – Wyoming is the first territory to give women the right to vote.
December 10, 1938 – Pearl S. Buck receives the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Good Earth.
December 14, 1961 – President’s Commission on the Status of Women is established to examine discrimination against women and ways to eliminate it.
Herstory Birthdays:
December 13, 1903 (1986) – Ella Baker, organizer, tried to develop local leaders for civil rights campaigns but found male leaders in the NAACP quite unwilling to delegate power, helped lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference until Dr. King took over, worked with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
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As a supplement to the History of individual women, I thought it would be a good idea to remind us how far we have come and some of the changes that were made giving women more independence and a voice, therefore for the next few months beginning November 1, 2021, this segment will include:
40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s
The list is thanks to HistoryCollection.com, which cites the sources:
17. Women Didn’t Really Have A Voice
Of course, females have always been able to talk, but this didn’t mean that the things they said had any impact on what people thought. While countless girls fought for women’s suffrage and other rights marches, most males, especially in professional careers, wouldn’t and didn’t have to listen to what girls had to say. This concept not only included their opinions on civil and household matters but also opinions for their own bodies. Typically, until around the 1970s, most women had to listen to their husband in how he wanted things down in his home.
16. They Couldn’t Obtain a Degree in Women’s Studies
It wasn’t until 1956 when the Women Studies program came into existence in Australia. From there, the program slowly grew into other parts of the world. However, the United States’ colleges didn’t start catching on to women studies until the late 1960s. In 1969, Cornell University became the first college to offer women studies classes. A year later, San Diego State University established the first Women’s Studies Program in the United States. 1972 saw the establishment of Feminist Studies, and then 1977 saw the creation of the National Women’s Studies Association, which focuses on women’s history in education.
15. Women Weren’t Able to Get Any Job
Today, it’s hard to think about all the jobs women couldn’t get before the 1970s. Before women started demanding gender equality for jobs, women could only apply for specific positions, such as secretary or teacher. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 worked to end workplace discrimination; however, it continued in several states and among hundreds of professions. Even though employers couldn’t legally reject women for jobs because of their gender, they could reject women for other reasons. Some employers would skip applications by women while others would produce a different reason for not hiring them.
14. She Couldn’t Divorce Over Domestic Violence
Before the 1970s, getting divorced was difficult. Females had to prove that their husband had wronged them to obtain a divorce. However, proof didn’t mean that women would be able to get a divorce successfully. Some of the reasons, such as adultery, became acceptable. However, other reasons were not seen as acceptable, such as spousal abuse. Wives couldn’t officially protect themselves from domestic violence until the 1990s. However, starting in the 1970s, it became acceptable for a woman to ask for a divorce because of domestic violence.
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Announcements
The 2021 Peace & Justice Center’s Annual Awards Online Ceremony of 11/13/2021 can be viewed online at the Center’s youtube channel:https://youtu.be/cwoTmx6CjRE
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Her Story, sung by Earth Mama, from the album Herstory (2019 Rhm).
One Woman, sung by Ana Bacalau and chorus of twenty five singers**, from the single UN Women (2013 UN Women)
**‘One Woman’ – The UN Women song sung by Singers and performers from all regions, women and men, donated their time and contributed their talent. They include: Ana Bacalhau (Portugal); Angelique Kidjo (Benin); Anoushka Shankar (India); Bassekou Kouyate (Mali); Bebel Gilberto (Brazil); Beth Blatt (US); Brian Finnegan (Ireland); Buika (Spain); Charice (Philippines); Cherine Amr (Egypt); Debi Nova (Costa Rica); Emeline Michel (Haiti); Fahan Hassan (UK); Idan Raichel (Israel); Jane Zhang (China); Jim Diamond (UK); Keith Murrell (UK); Lance Ellington (UK); Marta Gomez (Colombia); Maria Friedman (UK); Meklit Hadero (Ethiopia); Rokia Traoré (Mali); Vanessa Quai (Vanuatu); Ximena Sariñana (Mexico); Yuna (Malaysia). [1] In 2013, 25 acclaimed singers and musicians, women and men, from China to Costa Rica, from Mali to Malaysia, came together to spread a message of unity and solidarity: We are “One Woman”. Launched on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2013, the song is a rallying cry that inspires listeners to join the drive for women’s rights and gender equality. “One Woman” was written for UN Women, the global champion for women and girls worldwide, to celebrate its mission and work to improve women’s lives around the world. “One Woman” reminds us that together, we can overcome violence and discrimination against women and look toward a brighter future: “We Shall Shine!” [2]
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 12/6/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz and her Commentary on Pearl Harbor, Women’s Right of Bodily Choices, Gun Violence, and Congressional Incivility, has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North SF Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 12/6/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 12/8/2021 at 11 AM.
Subscribe for Podcasts of the Women’s Spaces Radio Show The shows since December 2019 are available by podcast. Subscribe by clicking the name of the service below and, once on the page, click the Subscribe button:
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: For today’s show I do not have a guest and will be talking about Our Herstory is our Strength, play a few songs and read a poem of mine.
Today is also a special day, on December 6, 1944, my sister Evelyn Diane Holtz was born. Happy Birthday baby sister, wishing you a joyous day and healthy life. My mother to be honest was happy that she was not born on December 7th which was the day that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and it was the beginning of World War II for the United States.
Just for fun I thought I would find two women who were born on the 6th of December to find out whose shoulders my sister is standing on because of her birthday. See the Herstory section below.
Tomorrow is December 7 the date of the day in 1941 that the Japanese planes attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor External, Hawaii Territory, killing more than 2,300 Americans.. I was only 1 ½ years old when this happened, and I can only imagine how horrible that day was, and the US declared war. What is even sadder is because of that event the Internment of Japanese Americans.
In the United States during World War II, about 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, most of whom lived on the Pacific Coast, were forcibly relocated, and incarcerated in concentration camps in the western interior of the country. Two-thirds of the internees were United States citizens. These actions were ordered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Although their families were treated unjustly in this way, more than 33,000 Japanese Americans served in the military with honor during the war.” On December 18, 1944, a divided Supreme Court ruled, in a 6-3 decision, that the detention was a “military necessity” not based on race. Many still believe it should not have happened. It is a dark mark on our history,.
Shout out to the National Organization of Women Sonoma County Chapter for organizing a gathering in Sebastopol in support of a women’s right to abortion/choice. On Wednesday December 1st hundreds of activists circled the Supreme Court in Washington DC to support abortion justice organized by the Women’s March. December 1 was the day the court began hearing arguments for Dobbs versus Jackson Women’s Health organization,
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Back to the Vigil. One of the best signs I saw expressed exactly how I feel. Let’s take care of the children who are born. Since we are talking about saving lives how about stopping the killing of children in war zones, due to lack of medical care or the dangers of guns. Four children were killed by a fifteen-year-old boy. Another sign I saw was, “I wish they would make the same noise about gun control as they do around abortion. We all need to let our representatives know how we feel about this.
That song in our playlist, Mr. Politician, by Ellen Bukstel is just as timely today as when it was written. With all these court cases and new legislation around abortion it is still a mystery to me why there is so much emphasis on “save the fetus,” you are killing a human being when we are killing those born in so many ways i.e., cops killing children, happened in our own community, homelessness, inadequate nutrition because of economics, many are without medical and dental care. Look at the war zones how many children are dying, where are the right to lifers when that happens. Feels like there is so much emphasis on abortion in lieu of what I mentioned. For me, well I am not for or against abortion I am for a women’s right to choose and her privacy. Her decisions and actions are none of my business.
How about gun control? My heart goes out to all those parents who lost their four children in the horrible shooting at Oxford High School. These beautiful young children, the hope of the future, from good homes who wanted them, gone because individuals who are supposed to be governing and protecting are doing nothing around gun control, I truly hope justice is served and all parents learn a bit more responsible particularly around guns. I know most are but even they need to check out how it is being handled.
I am going to read a short poem I wrote in the late sixty’s; it is part of a poem called, When Johnny Comes March Home.
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I am going to talk a bit about Congressional Uncivility, suffered by Representative Ilhan Abdullahi Omar. She goes by the name, Omar and is the first Somali American and the first naturalized citizen of African birth in the United States Congress, and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota. She is also one of the first two Muslim women (along with Rashida Tlaib) to serve in Congress. She has been the target of several death threats, harassment by political opponents, and false and misleading claims by Donald Trump.
Last week, House Republican Lauren Boebert told what she and her audience considered a very funny joke about Representative Ilhan Omar. The premise of the joke is that Muslims are terrorists. If you don’t think Muslims are terrorists, you won’t enjoy the joke. Boebert and her supporters cracked up. They also enjoyed her describing Omar as a member of the “Jihad Squad.” What has the Republican Party become?
December 6, 1815 (1884) – Jane Swisshelm, suffragist, wrote articles for local papers against slavery, for women’s rights, and against legal inequities, led to close friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln.
December 6, 1927 (2002) – Patsy Mink, first Japanese American Congresswoman (D-HI), wrote the Women’s Educational Equity Act, played a key role in the enactment of Title IX, which was renamed posthumously as the “Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act”.
Herstory Events:
December 1, 1955 – Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus to a white person; her arrest sparks the modern civil rights movement in the US.
December 5, 1935 – Mary McLeod Bethune creates the National Council of Negro Women.
December 7, 1941 – Capt. Annie Fox receives the first Purple Heart awarded to a woman for her service while under attack at Pearl Harbor.
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As a supplement to the History of individual women, I thought it would be a good idea to remind us how far we have come and some of the changes that were made giving women more independence and a voice, therefore for the next few months beginning November 1, 2021, this segment will include:
40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s
The list is thanks to HistoryCollection.com, which cites the sources:
21. Women Couldn’t Serve on A Jury
Prior to the 1970s, females serving on a jury was rare but not impossible. It did happen but it hardly ever occurred before the 1970s… Many states didn’t allow women to sit on a jury until 1973 when all 50 states made it a requirement that females were allowed to participate.
20. Likewise, They Couldn’t Serve on The Supreme Court.
The 1970s became a groundbreaking decade for women in the legal field. During the 1970s, more law schools started accepting women; they could serve on juries and become lawyers. The legal industry began to bloom with women interested in a legal career. However, it wasn’t until 1981, when Sandra Day O’Connor received a seat for the Supreme Court. She held this position until 2006 when she retired. Other than O’Connor, three other women have served on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan.
19. Girlfriends Couldn’t Legally Live with TheirBoyfriends
Today many dating couples don’t think twice about living together with each other before getting married. However, this wasn’t the case around 50 years ago. During the 1970s, many states had laws against living with your significant other before marriage. It wasn’t until 2013 when all fifty states adopted the law to allow couples to live together without getting married first.
18. Women Couldn’t Purchase Athletic Shoes
The history of women in sports is different from the history of men in sports. While women usually purchase at least one pair of athletic shoes today, this was something women couldn’t buy until the end of the 1970s and into the early 1980s. The biggest reason for this was that women didn’t have a considerable spot in the sports world until around the 1970s. However, just because women didn’t have athletic shoes designed for them didn’t mean they didn’t buy the shoes. Instead of women’s shoes, they had to purchase athletic shoes designed for men.
Sunday, December 12, 2021, 1 pm, SAGE Fundraiser: Circle Song with Copperwoman, Arlene Francis Center, Santa Rosa.
Sonoma Independent – Public Interest Solutions and Advocacy (Jonathan Greenberg, Independent Journalist); SAGE and other campaigns: www.sonomaindependent.org
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The 2021 Peace & Justice Center’s Annual Awards Online Ceremony of 11/13/2021 can be viewed online at the Center’s youtube channel:https://youtu.be/cwoTmx6CjRE
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life, in her own words, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lXhw0LKo-Q Washington Post. In this compilation of interviews, speeches and poignant moments in her life, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reflects on her journey and career. Read more: https://wapo.st/35V3EVH
Hey Mr. Politican, sung by Ellen Buckstel, from the album Daddy’s Little Girl (2008 Ellen Bukstel).
Up Where We Belong, sung by Buffy St. Marie, from the album Up Where We Belong (2013 Buffy St. Marie Under Exclusive License to True North Records)
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For music purchasing opportunity, supporting the artists:
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 11/29/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz and guest Copperwoman singing live for the right to live in a Tiny Home, has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North SF Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 11/29/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 12/1/2021 at 11 AM.
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: I have a special guest this morning. Joining me joining me in the studio will be CopperWoman who is a musician, song writer and Copperwoman has been singing and making up melodic rhymes as long as she can remember. She brings people together to sing in gatherings called “Circle Song” Presently she is facing eviction from her tiny home and part of the campaign to stop government evictions in Sonoma County, and we are going to talk about that.
I want to do a shout out to Jackie Elward. I interviewed her last week on my show as Vice Mayor of Rohnert Park which is a historic accomplishment. It gets better. Jackie is making history in our county. Last week she was voted in as Mayor of the City of Rohnert Park. Congratulations Jackie, I am personally thrilled by this happening. We need strong women leading our county and our country. Not only strong but with a vision that brings people together to work together.
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2. Our guest Copperwoman opens her interview with singing a song she just wrote, Let the Spirit Come Through as the True You. She then describes her passage through treatment of cancer to the adoption of her name Copperwoman. She felt her calling to bring people together and sing with her Circle Songs, which she has done beginning in Santa Cruz, for a time in Garberville and Arcata, and more recently in Sonoma County. Copperwoman purchased a tiny home and found a couple with single family house and 4 acres that were willing to rent her the space. The Permit Sonoma of the County, however, discovered the tiny home and red-tagged it as not being allowed. The tiny home comes equipped with a composting toilet and toilets in the County are required to be on a septic system or sewer. With the help of independent journalist and social advocate Jonathan Greenberg, Copperwoman became the poster woman for folks suffering government evictions with a music video by her and a petition to the Board of Supervisors was set up on Change.org. She sings her song live for us in the studio, Everybody Needs a Home, that is on the video promoting the petition. On Sunday December 12, 2021 at 1 pm, Copperwoman appears in concert with Bob Culberton for the Stop All Government Evictions (SAGE) campaign.
About our Guest: Copperwoman has been singing and making up melodic rhymes as long as she can remember. She brings people together to sing in gatherings called “Circle Song” from Santa Cruz to Arcata to Mt. Shasta and has been an integral part of the ritual backbone at the Women’s Herbal Symposium in Laytonville. She has several CDs of original “singable” tunes including a CD called Gratitude—songs she wrote during her healing journey with cancer. She believes music is healing. One of her mantras is, “Open your Heart, let your voice come through.” She is mother of two grown offspring and Grandmother to her daughter’s two beautiful children.
Petition Stop All Government Evictions to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors: To sign the petiotion, Click here for Change.org
Sonoma Independent – Public Interest Solutions and Advocacy (Jonathan Greenberg, Independent Journalist); SAGE and other campaigns: www.sonomaindependent.org
Herstory Events: Instead of the History of individual women I thought it would be a good idea to remind us how far we have come and some of the changes that were made giving women more independence and a voice, therefore for the next few months beginning November 1, 2021, this segment will include:
40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s
The list is thanks to HistoryCollection.com, which cites the sources:
25. Ladies Couldn’t Easily Practice Law
For about a century, women had to fight for their right to practice law. While there were previous female judges and lawyers, it was scarce to see a woman in the legal field until the late 1960s and into the early 1970s. In fact, Cornell University ran a study which confirmed that 90% of law firms refused to interview women who applied for placement in their firms. On top of this, most law schools wouldn’t admit women into their programs. We have come a long way ladies but still have a way to go. Our history is our strength, and it is important to know what we gained. Often women take their freedom to participate for granted and a reminder is important because if we are not aware of it, we could lose it. Looks that may be a reality around choice over our own bodies.
24. Women Couldn’t Receive the Morning After Pill
Another thing that women struggled receiving before the 1970s was the morning after pill. The morning after pill would not become FDA approved until the late 1990s, even though it became more available for females during the 1970s. Moreover, when the contraceptive became available, women still had secretly to find a way to take the morning after pill. Even so, women today still reportedly feel embarrassed or ashamed when they must take the morning after pill. Many professionals think that the reason behind this is because of the slow acceptance of contraception regarding women.
23. They Struggled to Get a Birth Control Pill
The birth control pill went a little faster than the morning after pill. The FDA approved the medicine during the 1960s; however, individual states could create their own laws when it came to the birth control pill. Many states didn’t allow doctors to give their patients the birth control pill for assorted reasons. One woman from Connecticut, Estelle Griswold, started to sell the contraception, getting herself arrested. Her case went to the Supreme Court, which upheld that married women could receive the birth control pill in 1965. During the 1970s, more states started to allow doctors to prescribe the medication.
22. Interracial Marriage Was Illegal in Most States
One of the most famous cases of interracial marriage is the Loving Vs. Virginia case. This hearing made it to the United States Supreme Court, which declared states that didn’t allow couples to marry on the base of color was unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Mildred Loving and her husband, Richard, brought forth the case after their arrest and prison sentence for marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court forced states to allow interracial marriage in 1967, which helped increase interracial marriage during the 1970s.
Sunday, December 5, 2021, 2 pm, Business Showcase by the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce; Free to the Public; Online. RSVP for Zoom details at: Click for EventBrite Page.
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The 2021 Peace & Justice Center’s Annual Awards Online Ceremony of 11/13/2021 can be viewed online at the Center’s youtube channel:https://youtu.be/cwoTmx6CjRE
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com The House I Live In, sung by Maxine Linehan, from the album An American Journey (2014 Honeybun Records).
Live during the show: Let the Spirit Come Through as the True You, sung live by Copperwoman. Everybody Needs a Home, sung live by Copperwoman.
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For music purchasing opportunity, supporting the artists:
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 11/22/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz and guest Jackie Elward on being the First Black City Councilmember and Vice-Mayor of Rohnert Park, and guest Nancy Rogers announcing the online Business Showcase by the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce on Dec.6th., has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North SF Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 11/22/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 11/24/2021 at 11 AM.
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: I have two special guest this morning. Joining me in the studio is, Jackie Elward, Vice Mayor of the city of Rohnert Park in California. We will be talking about her position as Vice Mayor and some of the challenges she is facing along with some of your goals.
For the second segment of the show, joining me on the phone will be Nancy Rogers, Chair of the Northern California Black Chamber of Commerce. We will be talking about the chamber along with a special Black Business S showcase they are presenting via Zoom on, Sunday December 5 starting at 2:30pm. I am looking forward to hearing about this event. In my mind this event is a way we can both meet and support our African American business owners and community organizations.
November 18 was World Vasectomy Day. I applaud male engagement in family planning. Check out the World Vasectomy Day website for more information: https://wvd.org/wvd-2021/#celebration
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2. Our first guest Jackie Elward shares her coming to a new land, the United States, from her native Congo. and raising a family in Rohnert Park. The George Floyd murder in 2020, and the lack of an outcry from the leadership of the city, was the spark that caused her first to organize a peaceful protest, and then noticing a need for leadership to run for the city council of Rohnert Park in the new District elections set in place by the city. Jackie gives credit to the mentoring of her father and uncle in the law and political activism, and thinking of the future of her children, especially her son, in a city without representation of Black Lives. With the help of Julie Royes and Leslie and other local activists her campaign was a success. As Jackie told her son, “Become the change you want.” Since entering politics, Jackie has received hateful and threatening communications from community members, and understands why two prominent black leaders left the county agencies they led recently because of “racial micro-agressions” they experienced with lack of support in following up those abuses. Jackie emphasizes that if Black leaders suffer, then Blacks feel unsafe in the county. She feels we need to elect more black leaders and encourages folks not only to march in protest but also to run for political office to make real changes in social policies.
About our Guest: Jackie Elward emigrated to America more than a decade ago and for the last six years, she’s been living in Rohnert Park’s newly created District 4. As an immigrant and woman of color born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jackie is fulfilling the American Dream by having the opportunity to serve the city of Rohnert Park as the vice mayor of the city of Rohnert Park in California. She knows 5 languages and is a bilingual Educator and Instructional Assistant. Jackie has pursued two BA Degrees, one in Sociology and one in Criminal Justice. She is Happily married and mother of three, I want to also mention she is a member of three city committees, Waste and Recycling, Water and Wastewater Issues and Education. Flash! 2 days after this show the City of Rohnert Park announced on November 24, 2021, that Jackie has been named Mayor-elect, the first black mayor of the city.
3. Our second Guest Nancy Rogers announces the 2nd annual Business Showcase, sponsored by the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce, which she leads as President, happening as an online event on Sunday, December 5. Nancy talks about the difficulties most small businesses suffered under the pandemic restrictions and encourages folks to attend the event to be reminded of the services these local businesses offer especially for the holiday season.
About our Guest: Nancy Rogers is a board member of the Black Forum along with being and President of entrepreneurs of tomorrow a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for young people of color. Nancy is also the founder and chair of Blacks United, which provides a place for all African American Organizations to meet and share information. She is co-owner of, Red Rose catering with her husband Harold Rogers. She is a mother and a grandmother.
Sunday, December 5, 2021, 2 pm, Business Showcase by the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce; Free to the Public; Online. RSVP for Zoom details at: Click for EventBrite Page.
Herstory Events: Instead of the History of individual women I thought it would be a good idea to remind us how far we have come and some of the changes that were made giving women more independence and a voice, therefore for the next few months beginning November 1, 2021, this segment will include:
40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s
The list is thanks to HistoryCollection.com, which cites the sources:
29. Divorce Became Quicker and Easier
Many people question the reason that the divorce rate is so much higher today than it was 50 years ago. One of the biggest reasons for this is because women have the right to get divorced without having needing proof. Generally, the evidence pointed to their husband cheating. However, lawmakers started to notice that some women had trouble proving who was at fault. Therefore, they came up with a solution, legalizing the No-Fault Divorce Act in 1969. This act allowed women to obtain a divorce easier as they no longer had to prove their partner’s fault when requesting a divorce.
28. They Couldn’t Serve as A Judge
While some states had selected female judges before the 1970s, women weren’t typically able to sit in at a regular rate in the United States until the 1970s when most states allowed women to serve as judges. In fact, women as judges is a slowly growing trend historically. From the first female Justice of Peace, Esther Morris, in Wyoming during the 1870s until today, the profession for females is still growing. Fortunately, the rate of female judges is starting to build a bit quicker than in the past.
26. They Wouldn’t Be Admitted into An Ivy League University
For decades, educating males became more important than females. Because of this, it became harder for women to receive admittance into colleges. Furthermore, it became even harder for women to apply to an ivy league college such as Harvard or Yale. These type of colleges didn’t regularly accept women until close to the 1970s. Yale became the first ivy league college to admit women in 1969. After that, many other ivy league college started to accept women but at a slow rate. For example, Columbia University didn’t allow women until 1983.
Until November 29, 2021: View Video of the NOW Sonoma Chapter’s Special Online Presentation which occurred on Friday, October 29, 2021. to honor LGBTQIA+ History Month. NOW Sonoma County Chapter hosted two members of the Lesbian Archives of Sonoma County and one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The video of the presentation is available to see until 11/30/2021 . Request viewing by emailing info@nowsonoma.org .
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Sunday, December 5, 2021, 2 pm, Business Showcase by the North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce; Free to the Public; Online. RSVP for Zoom details at: Click for EventBrite Page.
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The 2021 Peace & Justice Center’s Annual Awards Online Ceremony can be viewed online at the Center’s youtube channel:https://youtu.be/cwoTmx6CjRE
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 . T
he Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Black Women in History, sung by Rissi Palmer and Snooknuk, from the single Black Women in History (Released 2021 FyüsionK).
Blowing in the Wind, sung by the Seekers, from the album The Ultimate Collection (2007 Parlophone Records , LTD A Warner Music Group).
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For music purchasing opportunity, supporting the artists:
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 11/15/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz and guest Cynthia Abbott on her Emmy Award Winning film “Three Ocean Advocates – Inspiring Change”, has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North SF Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 11/15/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 11/17/2021 at 11 AM.
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: I have a special guest this morning. Joining me joining me on the phone will be Emmy Award Filmmaker Cynthia Abbott, and we will be talking about some of the environmental issues around the ocean and her Emmy Award film, “Three Ocean Advocates: Inspiring Change.”
On Saturday November 13 via Zoom the Peace and Justice Center had their annual Awards Presentation and the Sunrise Movement was awarded The Youth Peace and Justice Activists Award. A special shout out to the P&J Center for acknowledging out youth who are fighting to secure an environmentally stable future. In my youth I did not have to struggle with these issues although warnings were beginning to surface.
The Sonoma County hub of the Sunrise Movement, a national youth-led movement. The Sunrise Movement is a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. They are building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people. https://www.sunrisemovement.org/
Congratulations to the other recipients of the PJC Annual Award for 2021
Peace and Justice Activists of the Year Award went to: Dmitra Smith – I first met Dmitra when we both served on the SC Human Rights Commission where she developed the Human Rights Jr. Commission, served as both Vice Chair and Chair and has been a strong advocate for Human Rights in our Community.
Russ and Mary Jorgensen Courage of Commitment Award was given to one of my favorite people, Audrianna Jones who is the current Vice Chair of the P&J Center.
Unsung Heroes Award was given to a long-time friend, Mary Munat aka Green Mary. Ken was at the meeting when the name, “Green Mary” was adopted. In knowing Mary for all these years, I know then lengths she has gone to for events to begin recycling. I can just see her at the past Harmony Festival sorting out trash after the event. Congratulations Mary. Community Organization Award was given to Graton Labor Center. This is so deserved in my mind. This organization represents immigrants, day labors and domestic laborers assuring that they are treated with dignity and are provided a decent way. Congratulations to all the workers and volunteers.
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2. Our first guest Cynthia Abbott has lived close to the ocean and through her study with environmental advocacy groups she was exposed to an exhibit of plastic bottles that crossed the ocean. She asked, “What else?” She describes the dire situation of our oceans: acidification, plastic waste, overfishing, oil and chemical pollutants. To her surprise she found out that 50% of the oxygen we breathe is from the oceans, or every other breath we take is from the oceans. In collaboration with Andrea Leland and a fine team, Cynthia they produced a documentary film Three Ocean Advocates: Inspiring Change. It inspired an Emmy Award. Cynthia is co-founder of Every Second Breath Project to continue the production of documentary films about ocean and environmental advocacy.
About our Guest: Cynthia Abbott is Co-Producer and C-Director of the Emmy-Award-Winning film, Three Ocean Advocates: Inspiring Change. She is an independent producer/director of short form environmental films on the ocean. She believes the power of storytelling can change our collective vision for the ocean’s future – protected and thriving. She is an experienced cinematographer, editor, and producer who has worked in Burma and Thailand. Her shorts have won numerous awards and have screened at conferences, museums and on local PBS. She is founder of Every Second Breath Project, an award winning short-film series that presents people who have been deeply affected by the ocean, and who are actively engaged in trying to help the ocean heal.
Guest Links:
Every Second Breath Project (also for requests for virtual screenings for groups of the film Three Ocean Advocates – Inspiring Change):https://everysecondbreathproject.org/
Herstory Events: Instead of the History of individual women I thought it would be a good idea to remind us how far we have come and some of the changes that were made giving women more independence and a voice, therefore for the next few months beginning November 1, 2021, this segment will include:
40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s
The list is thanks to HistoryCollection.com, which cites the sources:
32. They Didn’t Receive Any Paid Maternity Leave
The first time anything about paid maternity leave became a news topic was in 1969 when five states agreed that women should be able to take time around the time, they gave birth. On top of this, the state courts ruled that the women should be able to receive some sort of compensation while they were out on maternity leave. Therefore, the Temporary Disability Insurance Act was born. However, this act didn’t fix everything required for paid maternity leave. Currently, there are still hundreds of workplaces which do not pay maternity leave.
31. Women Couldn’t Receive Direct Consultation About Physical and Mental Health
If you’re a “Mad Men” series fan, you might remember a scene when Betty’s second husband, Henry Frances, discussed Betty’s cancer diagnosis with the doctor. At the time, Betty was sitting off to the side listening to their conversation. If you’ve ever wondered why, it is because women didn’t receive direct consultation about their health from doctors. A wife had to have her husband speak on her behalf for many reasons; one being women couldn’t understand what the doctors were saying.
30. She Couldn’t Refuse Sex from Her Husband
Wives finally started to receive some legal protection in the 1970s from their husbands. State courts began to realize that there was something called marital rape. However, very few states would do anything about any type of spousal rape accusations from a woman until the early 1990s with the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. With this act, women became legally protected from any act of violence from their husband, including physical assault and rape. Before the action, many police departments around the United States believed any abuse from a husband towards his wife was a private family matter.
The 2021 Peace & Justice Center’s Annual Awards Online Ceremony can be viewed online at the Center’s youtube channel:https://youtu.be/cwoTmx6CjRE
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Thursday, November 18, 6:00 pm, NOW Sonoma County Chapter Planning Meeting, via Zoom. For details seehttp://nowsonoma.org/Events.html
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Until November 29, 2021: View Video of the NOW Sonoma Chapter’s Special Online Presentation which occurred on Friday, October 29, 2021. to honor LGBTQIA+ History Month. NOW Sonoma County Chapter hosted two members of the Lesbian Archives of Sonoma County and one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The video of the presentation is available to see until 11/30/2021 . Request viewing by emailing info@nowsonoma.org .
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Mercy, Mercy Me, sung by Angela Nashed, from the single Mercy, Mercy Me (2019 687499 Records DK).
What is Going On, sung by Etta James, from the album All The Way (Released 2006 SONY BMG Music Entertainment).
Human Family, sung by Maya Angelou, from the album Caged Bird Sings (Released 2014 Smooth Music, Inc.)
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For music purchasing opportunity, supporting the artists:
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 11/8/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz with guests Janeen Murray of GoLocal and Charlie Toledo of the Suscol Intertribal Council, has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North SF Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 11/8/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 11/10/2021 at 11 AM.
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: I have two special guests this morning. Joining me by phone will be is Janeen Murray, Executive Director of Sonoma County GO LOCAL joining me in the on the phone working from home, Janeen Murray, Executive Director of Sonoma County GO LOCAL and that is what we will be talking about – the benefits of supporting local businesses during these holiday seasons. I can hardly believe thanksgiving is just around the corner.
I am extremely excited, also joining me on the phone this morning will be Charlie Toledo, Executive Director Suscol Intertribal Council and we will be talking about her organizations and November is Native American Heritage Month. We will be talking about that and some of the issues facing our Native American culture.
Ken and I are great grandparents for the second time with the arrival of Kaya Sierra Jensen to Amber and Ryan. Kaya is why we produce Women’s Spaces, that she may have a sustainable future.
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2. Our first guest Janeen Murray talks how locally owned businesses and local non-profit organizations strengthen the community’s economy across diverse socio-economic tiers. Plus, these organizations generally have a smaller environmental footprint compared to products imported into the county. Janeen encourages us to vote with our dollars, as these dollars are recirculated in the community to a much higher degree than corporate dollars. Sonoma County GoLocal is a membership organization of locally owned businesses that benefit from the marketing tools GoLocal provides with its website and free Made Local Magazine and its free Pocket Guide available at newsstands around the county.
About our Guest: Janeen Murray directs GO LOCAL Sonoma County, a 13-year strong economic development marketing organization for locally owned, independent businesses. And, as manager of Sustaining Technologies, GO LOCAL’s media arm, Janeen is the publisher of Made Local Magazine, a free community magazine about our local food system and entrepreneurial economy. Janeen is a volunteer member of the Sonoma County Food System Alliance and in her spare time plays accordion with the Hubbub Club Street band in parades and marches throughout the county.
3. Our second Guest Charlie Toledo first shares the life of her grandparents, who were taken from their parents to be raised by a Spanish family, basically as slaves. When freed, her grandparents started a farm, and her parents later grew chilis, which with bartering provided for the family. Charlie Toledo founded the Suscol Indian Council (SIC) in 1972 after moving to Napa County and befriending native peoples in the North Bay. The Napa Valley is one of the oldest inhabited areas in North America. Charlie asked where did the Natives go? Beginning with the signing by President Jimmy Carter of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 the Council focused on providing safe places to hold ceremony. In 1992 the organization’s name was changed to Suscol Intertribal Council. Since the overt warfare against Native Peoples has ended, Native elders now feel this is the time to be more vocal in sharing Native culture. Charlie welcomed Governor Newsom’s Executive Order in June 2019 that was issued as an apology for the “genocide” of Native Peoples in California, in which he explicitly used and repeated the word “genocide.” Residents of certain California towns, like Kelseyville, are now looking to change the town name so there is no longer the association with a leader of genocidal actions.
Herstory Events: Instead of the History of individual women I thought it would be a good idea to remind us how far we have come and some of the changes that were made giving women more independence and a voice, therefore for the next few months beginning November 1, 2021, this segment will include:
40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s
The list is thanks to HistoryCollection.com, which cites the sources:
36. They Would not Be Acknowledged for Running in The Boston Marathon
The first woman to try to run in the Boston Marathon was Kathrine Switzer, a student at Syracuse University, in 1967. At the time, the Boston Marathon did not acknowledge women, and while Switzer registered, ran, and made history, she was attacked, spit on, and taunted. In fact, it would not be until five years later, in 1972, when women did not receive an acknowledgment as runners in the Boston Marathon. Nina Kuscsik from Huntington, New York, was one of the first women to be acknowledged, coming in first for women at 3 hours, 10 minutes, and 26 seconds in 1972.
35. Organizations Started Focusing on Enforcing Work Equality for Women
Even though the 1964 Civil Rights Act stated employment places could not discriminate based on gender or race, females continued to face work discrimination and inequality well into the 1970s. No matter what act Congress passed, women continued to face discrimination. Therefore, the National Organization of Women started to focus their attention on the issues that women faced in the workplace. This organization worked to make sure employment agencies enforced the new acts. Unfortunately, discrimination is still a struggle in the workplace as women are still underpaid and often harassed.
34. Women Could not Receive Admittance into A Military Academy
While women have always had a part in wars, starting with the Revolutionary War, they didn’t have the choice of combat roles. On top of this, girls were not allowed to attend a military academy simply because men believed that women would not be able to make through the academy. This idea changed when West Point admitted its first female students in 1976. Four years later, Andrea Hollen and 61 other females became the first women to graduate from a military academy on May 28, 1980. However, women could not fight in combat until 2013, per a 1994 ban.
33. Women Could not Protect Themselves from Workplace Sexual Harassment
During the 1970s, courts began ruling that people who sexually harassed women in the workplace violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act and women should be able to protect themselves from sexual advances. This ruling occurred in 1977 when the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia stated women could not get fired if they refused sexual advantages from their boss. In 1980 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission produced a definition for sexual harassment and stated it created a hostile work environment. Six years later, the United States Supreme Court would agree with their ruling.
Thursday, November 18, 6:00 pm, NOW Sonoma County Chapter Planning Meeting, via Zoom. For details seehttp://nowsonoma.org/Events.html
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Until November 29, 2021: View Video of the NOW Sonoma Chapter’s Special Online Presentation which occurred on Friday, October 29, 2021. to honor LGBTQIA+ History Month. NOW Sonoma County Chapter hosted two members of the Lesbian Archives of Sonoma County and one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The video of the presentation is available to see until 11/30/2021 . Request viewing by emailing infor@nowsonoma.org .
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Wake Up Everybody, sung by Thelma Houston, from the album A Woman’s Touch (2007 Thelma Houston).
We Are Here, sung by Sharon Burch, from the album Songs of Native American Women (2014 Canyon Records)
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For music purchasing opportunity, supporting the artists:
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 11/1/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz Commentary on Sonoma County Losing Officials to Racist Behavior, and on the Hunger Striking Santa Rosa Sunrise Movement Climate Activist Youth Ema Govea in DC; and guests Shekeyna Black and Audrianna Jones on the Annual Peace and Justice Center Awards Ceremony Saturday November 13 and the SOFA Winterblast on Saturday November 6, has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 11/1/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 11/3/2021 at 11 AM.
Commentary on Sonoma County Losing Officials to Racist Behavior, and on the Hunger Striking Sunrise Movement Climate Activist Youth Ema Govea from Santa Rosa
Sonoma County Peace & Justice Center Annual Awards Ceremony on Saturday November 13
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: Joining me in the Studio is Shekeyna Black, Executive Director for the Peace and Justice Center here in Sonoma County California. Also joining me via telephone is Audrianna Jones, Board Member of Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County, this year’s recipient of the Russ and Mary Jorgensen Courage of Commitment Award. and we will be talking about their P&J Annual Awards Presentation that is happening on Saturday, November 13, an online event. We will also let folks know about the annual Winterblast happening this Saturday November 6th in the SOFA Artist District of Santa Rosa.
The Sunrise Movement of Sonoma County, the youth who have been vocal about the peril Climate Change presents for their future, and who marched through the devasted wildfire aftermath in California, will be the recipient of the Center’s Youth Peace and Justice Award. I am so glad the Climate Activist youth are being recognized. Just featured in the news of Al Jazeera and the Press Democrat was 18-year-old Ema Govea from Santa Rosa who is on a hunger fast to protest the lack of action on Climate Change in Washington, DC, with other members of the Sunrise Movement since October 20, 2021.
There was a disturbing article in the Press Democrat on October 29, 2021, talking about the exiting of officials due to racial basis. A special shout out to the paper for putting this on the front page and addressing the issue which I know is alive and well in Sonoma County. As I read the article and thought about some of the harassment these officials of color experienced which is causing them to leave Sonoma County, I could not help but reflect on the Presidential Election where 61,825 Sonoma County voters voted for Mr. Trump who was out front with his racism and is facing several law suits by women against him for various violations against them and still people voted for him. What does that say about those who voted for him? To me it has opened the flood gates for this type of behavior which has trickled down to our county. Seems like more than ever folks not only have permission to be raciest but to express those feelings and thoughts which the consequences are, we are losing qualified individuals in our county because of it.
Just a thought: More of us need to know the history of the Holocaust that happened in Nazi German. What is important to know and see is that is how low folks can go with racism and we need to be careful because it can happen here just like it has happened there and in many other countries. Humans need humanity and I am a believer it is taught, you know the saying, “Children Live What They Learn.”
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2. Our guests Shekeyna Black and Audrianna Jones talk about the Annual Peace & Justice Awards Presentation. This year the event is online on November 13, 2021 at 7 PM. This event is a major fundraiser for the Center. RSVP for the event and donations can be made through links at the Center’s website www.pjcsoco.org, where you can read descriptions of the awards and the online auction. The winners of this year’s awards are listed below:
Peace & Justice Activist of the Year Award: Peace & Justice Activist of the Year Award: D’mitra Smith
Russ and Mary Jorgensen Courage of Commitment Award: Audrianna Jones
Unsung Hero Award: Mary Munat
Community Organization Award: Graton Day Labor Center/ALMAS
Youth Peace & Justice Activists Award: Sunrise Movement Sonoma County
Audrianna shares her path to volunteering for the Peace & Justice Center and leading up the Donation Drive for the Homeless there. Audrianna completed a special program provided by Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI), six-month program of training and preparation for serving on local and regional boards and commissions. It provides the tools, skills, and support to help emerging leaders from low-income and underrepresented communities obtain seats on strategic boards and commissions and then pass policies that advance racial and economic equity. The program aims to give community members and advocates with not just a voice, but also a vote on important decisions. The County must have noticed and has recently hired Audrianna for a position at the Sonoma County Housing Authority.
Shekeyna describes the awards, including the Russ and Mary Jorgensen Courage of Commitment Award to be awarded to Audrianna Jones, for her steadfastness in the Donation Drive for the Houseless. The auction items can be viewed and bid on at https://www.32auctions.com/PJCauction2021
Shekeyna also announces the annual SOFA Winterblast this coming Saturday evening, November 6 from 5 to 9:30 PM. The festivities occur in the South of A street artist district, and the SOFA round-the-block parade of decorated couches begin at the Peace and Justice Center’s office at 476 Sebastopol St. in Santa Rosa, Come and enjoy the open studios, galleries, cafes, food and drink, live music and theater, and street entertainment.
About our Guest:Shekeyna Black is the Executive Director of the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County. The nonprofit organization has been serving the community for 37 years as a resource for social justice. Also, she is enthusiastic about creative arts; especially the key roles that music, theatre, and dance play in our lives. Additionally, she recently started working for a local theatre company, 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa.
About our Guest: Audrianna Jones has been a Board Member of the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County since 2018 with an ignited passion for helping others that she has been refining in her thirties. It started with a two-year journey of feeding the houseless community where she discovered needs for additional paid social worker positions and outreach. On the board she is uplifted by local activists who comb the community for bugs in nonprofits and community resources, responding with activism that includes all voices. She is trained in racial and social justice from the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute and as a Crisis Counselor through Verity. Audrianna recently started a new position at the Sonoma County Housing Authority as a Community Development Specialist.
Herstory Events: Instead of the History of individual women I thought it would be a good idea to remind us how far we have come and some of the changes that were made giving women more independence and a voice, therefore for the next few months this segment will include:
40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s
Financially, there were many things that women could not do without their husbands and taking out a credit card under their name was one of them. Legally, banks could deny women credit cards until 1974 with the passing of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The applications from women who tried to take a credit card out under their name received the stamp of “denied” or told them to get their husband’s signature on the form. If the woman were not married, the bank would still request she bring a male, such as her father or brother, who could co-sign the application.
39. Women Could not Legally Get an Abortion for Any Reason
Legal abortion is not only a hot topic today, but it has been a hot topic for decades. In fact, women were not able to legally have an abortion for any reason until 1970 when a college student from Texas known as “Jane Roe” decided to challenge the law. She claimed that she had to right to abortion in her own state. Roe went up against Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade in Texas’ Federal Court. While the case started in 1970, it didn’t end until 1973 in Roe’s favor with the Roe Vs. Wade case stating states which ban abortions are unconstitutional.
38. They Could not Celebrate International Women’s Day
By the time, the 1970s rolled around, women all over the world were tired of being treated as second-class citizens. They started to demand equal treatment across the globe and in every aspect of their lives. This call included being able to celebrate themselves. While International Women’s Day history started in the early 1900s, no one acknowledged the date in the United States. It all changed in the mid-1970s and further improved in 1980 when then President Carter stated that the States would celebrate International Women’s week, including International Women’s Day, which is March 8th.
Saturday, November 6, 2021, 5:00 to 9:30 PM, SOFA Winterblast, SOFA round-the-block parade of decorated couches begin at the Peace and Justice Center’s office at 476 Sebastopol St. in Santa Rosa. Come and enjoy the open studios, galleries, cafes, food and drink, live music and theater, and street entertainment.
Until November 29, 2021: View Video of the NOW Sonoma Chapter’s Special Online Presentation which occurred on Friday, October 29, 2021. to honor LGBTQIA+ History Month. NOW Sonoma County Chapter hosted two members of the Lesbian Archives of Sonoma County and one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The video of the presentation is available to see until 11/29/2021 . Request viewing by emailing infor@nowsonoma.org .
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Hey Mr. Politican, sung by Ellen Buckstel, from the album Daddy’s Little Girl (2008 Ellen Bukstel).
Singing for our Lives, sung by Holly Near, from the album And Still we Sing Outspoken Collection (Holly Near)
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For music purchasing opportunity, supporting the artists:
Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 10/25/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz and guest Tatiana Lopez on Domestic Violence Victim Services of the Family Justice Center has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 10/25/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 10/27/2021 at 11 AM.
2. Guest: Tatiana Lopez, Director of Victim Services, Family Justice Services, County of Sonoma
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1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: Domestic Violence Awareness Month was launched nationwide in October 1987 as a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues. Over the past 30+ years, much progress has been made to support domestic violence victims and survivors, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals. Can you believe it, this is the last show of the month for October? Where did the month go? We will be doing the Women’s Spaces Pledge. I am doing something a little bit different for the Pledge. I had the honor of speaking at the rally at Old Court Yard Square, where I heard almost 1000 people recite the Women’s Spaces Pledge with me and I thought I would play the recording. Suggestion, say the Pledge as you hear it. This was a real honor for me and it was thrilling to hear so many strong determined voices repeat after me and then say it all together. October is LGBTQ History Month, a 31-day celebration to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer achievement and influence on the world and a time to learn more about the history of LGBTQ rights. Centering around National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, LGBTQ History Month was first celebrated in the United States in 1994. To honor this month the National Organization for Women (NOW) – Sonoma County Chapter is hosting a special zoom presentation on Friday, October 29th, from 6–8 p.m., Special presenters will be two members of the Lesbian Archives of Sonoma County and one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. To get the zoom information go to www.nowsonoma.org You can also find their newsletter and join.
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2. Our guest Tatiana Lopez describes her path from a little girl in Honduras to leading Victim Services for the Family Justice Center of Sonoma County. She especially is grateful for the opportunities for education in this country that are not limited to the wealthier classes. Tatiana now helps victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse with support to get into a safer environment. Sonoma County offers a one shop for many services that could come into play in a victim’s circumstances. Tatiana and her staff are well versed in the ways domestic violence can be expressed verbally, in a financial abusive way, a heightened sense of danger, a sense of walking on eggshells, and even physical abuse. She encourages victims to call the 24/7 Hot Line 707-546-1234 to the YWCA, whose receptionists can guide the caller to different services. During business hours the Family Justice Center’s phone 707-565-8255 is available to help victims navigate the resources available, from safe house to financial help.
About our Guest:Tatiana Lopez is the Director of Victim Services for the Family Justice Services in Sonoma County. She was born in Central America and immigrated to the US before her 15th birthday. She is bilingual, bicultural. Tatiana comes from a place where services for victims of crime are unheard of, and many crimes go unpunished which adds passion to her position. As a student at Santa Rosa Jr. College, she knew that she wanted to make a difference. In her time at school, she knew she wanted to choose a career of helping others. She has worked in the non-profit, private sectors and has been in the Victim Services field for just under 9 years, and at the DA’s office for five years. What she enjoys about her work is that she is making a difference in people’s lives along with getting to meet different individuals in our community. One of her goals is to build relationships/partnership with people and organizations to help make them aware that there is always a lending hand ready to help in a tough situation.
October 23, 1910 – Blanche Stuart Scott is the first American woman pilot to make a public flight.
Herstory Birthdays:
October 27, 1940 – Maxine Hong Kingston, award-winning author of The Woman Warrior, an autobiography about the Chinese-American female experience.
October 28, 1842 (1932) – Anna Dickinson, orator, early champion of the rights of women and blacks, supported interracial marriage, attacked the double standard of morality.
Friday, October 29, 6–8 p.m. NOW Sonoma Chapter’s Special Online Presentation This month is LGBTQIA+ History Month and our NOW Sonoma County Chapter is hosting an online special presentation by two members of the Lesbian Archives of Sonoma County and one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. For more information click here for the NOWSonoma website Events page.
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Who Will Cry (For The Little Girl Inside,”sung by Schawayna Raie, from the album Past, Present and Future (2017 Schawayna Raie).
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Women’s Spaces Radio Show of 10/18/2021 with host Elaine B Holtz conversing with guest Sandy Rapp on her life as a Songwriter, Singer, Feminist Activist and Author , has been uploaded to the web archive. The show was broadcast in the North Bay and streamed worldwide over Radio KBBF 89.1 FM on Monday 10/18/2021 at 11 AM, repeats at 11 PM on KBBF, and then repeat broadcasts in Petaluma and streamed worldwide over Radio KPCA 103.3 FM on the following Wednesday 10/20/2021 at 11 AM.
1. Commentary by our host Elaine B. Holtz: Today is the birthday of my Grandson Ryan Irwin Jensen, who is about to become a father for the second time. Happy Birthday Ryan! I love you dearly and wish you always the best life has to offer. It was Ryan who inspired The Women’s Spaces Pledge and it is amazing to think he is going to be a father for the second time.
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2. Our guest Sandy Rapp shares her path to activism for feminist and lesbian rights. Listening to Sandy and her songs, one
learns of the history, as she memorializes feminist, lesbian and gay activists and their names in her songs. Veteran Feminist Bella Abzug (D-NY) accompanies her on her best known song Remember Rose: Song for Choice. The recent laws restricting women’s right to choose to refuse or have an abortion, passed by some states like Texas, demonstrate the need for women, especially young women, to take to the streets and to lobby their elected officials for protections of women’s rights. Sandy describes the times of the Stonewall Revolution in June 1969, when she had not yet come out as lesbian for fear of losing straight music gigs. Sandy then became active in lobbying the passage of lesbian and gay rights on Long Island, NY, and even gave police sensitivity training, as reflected in her song, Everyone Was At Stonewall. Sandy is not only a singer/songwriter but also the author of God’s Country: A Case Against Theocracy (The Haworth Press; 1991). Be sure and listen to this enlightening conversation between our host Elaine and Sandy Rapp.
About our Guest:Sandy Rapp is a songwriter, activist, and author of God’s Country: A Case Against Theocracy (The Haworth Press; 1991). Her best-known songs are Remember Rose: Song for Choice, about the first back-street abortion fatality of the 1977 Medicaid-Abortion cutoff (all editions feature a guest vocal by the late Bella Abzug) and Everyone Was At Stonewall, a gay history, written for police sensitivity training, which won Stonewall Society’s Pride Song of 2004. Rapp was instrumental in the passage of a number of gay civil rights laws on Long Island, NY. Her CDs include We the People, Flag & The Rainbow, Still Marching’ and Salute to the Veteran Feminists, In 2006 Rapp received two OutMusic Award nominations and served as a Grand Marshal of the Long Island Pride Parade. Rapp’s premier of Rise Up Ye Women at the NYU Law School was toasted in The New Yorker – 11/13/06; and in 2010 Rapp won Stonewall Society’s Pride in the Arts Lifetime Achievement in Music Award.
October 18, 1889 (1968) – Fannie Hurst, author, wrote seventeen novels and nine volumes of short stories over 50 years, left approximately one million dollars each to Brandeis and Washington Universities for professorships in creative literature.
October c.18, 1890 (1986) – Pauline Newman, labor leader who emigrated from Lithuania (1901), aided uprising of the 20,000 in New York, hailed by Coalition of Labor Union Women as a foremother of the liberation movement.
October 18, 1917 (1983) – Mamie Clark, psychologist, established the Northside Center for Child Development (1946) with husband, Dr. Kenneth Clark, for the mental hygiene of the whole child.
October 18, 1951 – Terry McMillan, author of thirteen novels including her first, Mama (1987), and most popular, Waiting to Exhale (1992).
October 18, 1956 – Martina Navratilova, tennis champion, 9-time Wimbledon singles winner.
The Opening and Closing Theme song The Woman in Your Life is You is done with permission of the Composer and Singer Alix Dobkin ((August 16, 1940 – May 19, 2021) Alix Dobkin death was just announced – Thank you for all you did for Lesbians to be recognized and Women to be honored. May you rest in peace. See our Interview with Alix Dobkin on 12/1/2014 at and our Memorial to Alix Dobkin on 11/24/2021 .
The Woman in Your Life is You by Alix Dobkin from the album Living with Lavender Jane (2010 Women’s Wax Works) – www.alixdobkin.com Remember Rose – The Choice Song (feat. Bella Abzug (D-NY)), by Sandy Rapp, from the album Risin’ Song (Released 2015 @ Sandy Rapp)
The March, by Sandy Rapp, from the album Risin’ Song(Released 2015 @ Sandy Rapp)
Where Were the Flowers, by Sandy Rapp, from the album Risin’ Song (Released 2015 @ Sandy Rapp)
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