redplebeian:

radicallydisabled:

The war on Black women has reached a new level in recent years.

According to a study from Center for American Progress, 26.6% of Black women are living in poverty. In the first quarter of 2012, the unemployment rate for Black women was nearly twice that for white women. Even when they can find work, Black women make 70 cents for every dollar that an average man makes. Meanwhile, more than half of Black households have a female breadwinner, forcing Black families to do more with less. In recent months, politicians and the media have increased their vicious and racist attacks against single Black mothers, blaming them for not being able to make ends meet. The attacks run the gamut from portrayals of Black women as lazy and welfare dependent to sexual objectification. Black women are also one of the fastest growing segments of America’s prison population.

However, as has happened throughout American history, Black women are fighting back. Come to a discussion about the war on Black women, and what we can do to stop it.

Speakers include:

Dinah Ortiz - Dinah has served as a member of several non for profit organizations that focus on the education and wellbeing of current and formerly incarcerated women, pregnant women and mothers battling the disease of addiction and assisting women in overcoming the stigma of incarceration. Currently Dinah works as a Parent Advocate on behalf of the parents in the child welfare system.

Jovonna Frieson - Jovonna has been personally affected by the child welfare system and has been organizing to change it since March, 2010. She is a Parent Advocate for New Alternatives for Children.

Mercedes Smith - Mercedes was incarcerated for 20 years and raised her children from behind bars. Now she works as an organizer and activist supporting incarcerated women and their children. She is active with WORTH (Women on the Rise Telling HerStory) and the Osborne Committee of Children with Incarcerated Parents.

Jen Roesch - Jen is a longtime activist and member of the International Socialist Organization in New York City. She is the author of several articles on sexism, including “Turning Back the Clock? Women, Work and Family Today”.

Sponsored by the International Socialist Organization

The War on Black Women: Public Forum