Radical Doula

I’m prepping for a short Chicago tour this weekend, featuring three different talks on three different topics! In case you are in the area, here are the details:

University of Illinois at Chicago

Thursday April 26th, 2pm-3:30pm

Here I’ll be talking about my doula work! I don’t often get to focus on that, so it will be a fun conversation. Some of the members of the local abortion doula group in Chicago will be there as well, so you can connect with them and opportunities to join their initiative.

Details here.

TEDx DePaul University

Saturday April 28th, 9am-5pm

Here I will be giving a talk called “Transforming Empathy,” focusing on three lessons my work as a doula has taught me about social change. I’m excited to have the opportunity to join the TEDx platform, and hopefully talk about my work in a way that reaches a broader audience.

Details here.

Northwestern University

Monday April 30th, 6pm

Here I’ll be giving my “Sexual Assault and Social Justice” talk, as a concluding event for Northwestern University’s Sexual Assault Activism Month. You can see an excerpt of this talk here.

Details here.

If you’re interested in bringing me to speak at your campus or community, I’m now planning events for the fall 2012 and spring 2013. Get in touch.

Hi folks! Just a quick post to say I have two events coming up this week, the first tonight in NYC and the second on Thursday in San Francisco.

Tonight:

Y + 30: The Future of Women, 7pm, 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St, NYC, $10

Nearly every day, headlines about the “end of men” and the inexorable rise of women are juxtaposed with stark facts about the gender pay gap and the lack of women at the upper echelons of power. Meanwhile, the Internet has changed the daily conversation of and by women of all ages, races, nationalities and sexual orientations, about everything from pop culture to sexuality to politics.

In 30 years, will we still be having the same debates about difference, discrimination and forward development? What will it take to have more women in government, technology and other places where they are underrepresented? How will the role of men change in tandem? This panel, focused on the voices of younger women, will take a stab at answering these questions and more.

Panelists include Rebecca Kousky (founder and executive director of Nest, a nonprofit dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries), Kartina Richardson (contributor, Ebert Presents, filmmaker and founder of Mirrorfilm.org), Miriam Zoila Pérez (editor, Feministing; founder, Radical Doula; activist for LGBT issues and immigration rights). Irin Carmon, staff writer at Jezebel.com, moderates.

Thursday:

An Evening with Gloria Steinem and Young Feminist Leaders to benefit the Women’s Media Center

Thursday March 31st, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, 6pm

A conversation with Gloria Steinem, Lena Chen, Miriam Zoila Perez, Latoya Peterson and Shelby Knox.

Note: There are tickets available for $29 and $15 for students. Click this link to purchase those tickets.

Would love to see some Radical Doula readers at either event!

Hi folks! Just a little update to say I apologize for the radio silence over here. I’ve been working furiously on an article about the recent billboard campaigns for Colorlines (more to come on that) and also it’s women’s history month so the speaking has picked up again.

Tonight I’m speaking at Syracuse University as part of the Feministing College Tour with my awesome co-Editor Vanessa. Tomorrow we’ll be at Cornell for a lunch discussion, then in California next week for an event at Stanford and at St. Mary’s.

Then I’m heading to Austin for the South by Southwest Interactive conference, where I’ll be an a panel about community engagement with some awesome folks.

Wrapping up March with an event at Babson toward the end of the month.

I try to keep this page updated with all my speaking information, so check it out for details!

I promise to have more doula related blogging soon.

And the tour continues! Next up is Yale University on Wednesday.

I’m particularly excited to be at Yale because I blogged about the feminist campus community’s response to the antics of a Yale fraternity during rush.

As always, if you’re interested in bringing me to your campus or community I’m still booking events for the spring. Get in touch!

Next week I’ll be heading to Oklahoma for a mini speaking tour. I’m excited to visit a state I’ve never been to, as well as engage with activists dealing with progressive politics in a decidedly red state.

The first event, on January 21st, is a symposium hosted by Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. I’ll be speaking on a panel in the afternoon called Birthing Rights and the New Eugenics, alongside Lynn Paltrow and Andrea Smith. I’m very excited to speak alongside those two incredible folks, and especially Lynn, who gets serious credit for inspiring me to start this blog. I’ll be talking about abortion doula work and the full-spectrum doula movement.

Then on Monday I’ll be visiting the University of Oklahoma in Norman. There I’ll be giving my talk, Feminism’s Identity Crisis. The cool flyer that Stephanie at the Center for Social Justice made is below. In case you are in Oklahoma, the event is on January 24th, from 1:30-3:30pm in OMU, Regents Room.

I’ll be spending the weekend in the OKC/Norman area, so if you know of cool things to do or places to visit I’m open to suggestions!

Thanks to OSU and OU for inviting me. These two events are the start of my spring speaking gig. I’m still booking new events, so if you’re interested in bringing me to your campus or community, get in touch.