Rally Speakers



AlliAlli McCracken
is a National CODEPINK Coordinator based in the Washington D.C. office.  McCracken aids political activists in engaging with the government on many different levels, helping to create petitions, start e-mail and phone initiatives and establish social justice conferences. “We are constantly challenging the dialogue on these issues,” says McCracken. “We are helping other people get engaged in meaningful ways – and it’s exciting.”

10504943_10154443976460082_335933929394287316_oAlaina LaTourette believes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.  She has spent much of her lifetime fighting for the freedom to live without fear, equal access to opportunity and the right to decide what happens with and to our bodies gives us control over our lives and makes us empowered. She is a co-chair of We Are Woman.

10399212_18418803678_7112_nAndrea Miller,  was the Democratic Nominee in 2008 for House of Representatives in the Virginia 4th District. Running on a Medicare for All and clean energy platform.  Andrea was a part of Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s presidential campaign, first as Statewide Coordinator for Virginia and subsequently as Regional Coordinator. From 2006 until leading the VA Kucinich campaign Andrea was MoveOn.org’s Regional Coordinator for Central, Southwest and Hampton Roads areas of Virginia and West Virginia.  Andrea co-hosts, organizes and programs PDA’s Blog Talk Radio show.

BettyThe Honorable Betty Folliard is a former 3-term legislator from Minnesota, executive producer of A Woman’s Place radio program, & co-owner of Strategy Partners – a business and political consulting firm. She served as Community Representative for the District Office of Congressman Keith Ellison . Daughter, wife, mother & grandmother, Betty Folliard is Founder of ERA Minnesota, an organization dedicated to achieving constitutional equality for all women in America.

profile2Charles Clymer is a writer and social justice advocate based in Washington, D.C. His work has appeared in The Huffington Post, Mic News, and The New Civil Rights Movement. He has been quoted by The Boston Globe, The Guardian, CNN, Time, Newsweek, and several other websites and publications. He is a member of the LGBTQ community and a proud feminist.

 

deirdre_menard

Deirdre Menard, director of overy.org and gynreform.com, a grassroots movement dedicated to a Congressional hearing on a pervasive women’s health issue, has long been an advocate for women’s equality. Deirdre, a former tech executive in DC, gave up her work in tech in 2014 to dedicate herself to raising awareness about this issue, which is now before the FDA thanks to the assistance of Senator Mark Warner. Deirdre is a firm believer in the necessity of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women’s equal protection under the law, and feels the need for her health advocacy would not exist were women afforded that protection today.

DelroseDelrose Jackson is a student of Graphic Design Technology at Hagerstown Community College (HCC) in Maryland. She is a member of the HCC NOW Club and a supporter of United 4 Equality, LLC. She helped develop the website for the group. She is a permanent resident of the US and a citizen of Jamaica. Recently due to her efforts at least 6 representatives signed on to H.J. Res. 51 in support of removal of the deadline for the ERA.  Delrose an accomplished singer and composershe will be performing her original composition The ERA Song to express her desire for all Americans to be treated eaul

11102891_10205032426944300_8180506638169424140_nDiana Danis serves as lead administrator and frequent contributor to the social media platforms of the award-winning documentary “Service: When Women Come Marching Home.”  Diana Danis was the first military woman writing and anchoring radio news on the American Forces Network, Europe in 1974. Danis highlighted the accomplishments of women in the military during her tenure.

 

fayeE. Faye Williams is National President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women and former Counsel to the U.S. Congress’ District of Columbia Sub-Committee on the Judiciary and Education.  She is a former Professor of International Law at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA.  She previously served as Legislative Counsel and Chief of Staff for a District of Columbia Councilmember.  She is a former teacher in the Los Angeles Unified Schools.  She is an appointee by President Barack Obama to the Presidential Scholars Commission.

10521792_10152816380820264_8034297559605882192_nErin Eddy began her diplomatic career with the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer in May 2004. She has won accolades for her work overseas and has served as Public Affairs Officer at U.S. Consulate General Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Consular Officer at U.S. Embassy Tokyo, Japan; Public Diplomacy Officer at locations throughout Iraq and also U.S. Embassy Baghdad. Erin was recognized for her distinguished service “outside the wire” as a public diplomacy officer on a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Kirkuk, Iraq by Vice President Biden during his remarks ending U.S. Combat Operations.

165058_10200198335342233_1842283398_nEileen Davis the co-founder of Women-Matter.org , Richmond, Virginia, is focused on ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in Virginia, (A currently unratified state). Women-Matter.org fights for constitutionally enshrined gender equality for all US women at both the state level and in Congress.   In early 2015, Ellie Smeal of Feminist Majority referred to the work of Women-Matter as the “Miracle in Virginia”  stating “…beyond  belief that the Virginia Senate voted to ratify the National ERA in February 2014…” .

1915106_1182063522176_7209517_n (1)Helene de Boissiere-Swanson an Episcopalian and aspirant for the priesthood in the  Church of North India, co-founded Katrina’s Dream memory of her mother-in-law, Rev. Katrina Martha van Alstyne Welles Swanson.  Helene left from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on March 8th 2014,  on a one-year+ pilgrimage to promote the passage of the ERA.  Helene worked for the well-known international lawyer Melvin M. Belli as well  the Marin County Public Defender’s Office.  Helene is mother of two feminist men, Bobby and Harry.

1752_46201827469_1431_nJacqueline Nantier-Hopewell started her activism in middle school in 1969 when she challenged the school principal on the policy against girls wearing pants. After many years of working in the legal field helping women collect their past due child support, she became involved fighting the war against women. She has served in many capacities organizing rallies and helping to get the ERA passed. She is a lead coordinator in charge of fundraising for We Are Woman.  

1930116_214082700533_1375932_nJoe Morris Doss is the President of At the Threshold, an international and ecumenical organization fostering the transformation of the Christian Church. Bishop Doss served parishes in Louisiana and California as an Episcopal priest, and the Diocese of New Jersey as Bishop. An attorney with a background in civil rights, he enjoys a national reputation in and out of the church, primarily as an advocate for justice, and in particular as a champion of minorities, women, and children.

JOSHJosh Levs is an investigative journalist, expert on issues facing modern families and author of the new book All In: How Our Work-first Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses–and How we Can Fix It Together.    After 20 years of reporting for NPR and CNN, Levs — a father of three — focuses his book on dispelling myths about today’s dads and moms, and explaining the necessity of new policies to ensure true gender equality.  All In shows that men have just as much to gain from these changes.

JozWang-HeadshotJocelyn “Joz” Wang is a digital entrepreneur creating spaces for under-represented voices, she is Editor-in-chief/CEO of the popular collaborative online publication 8Asians.com, which features original, diverse commentary by Asians from around the world. She is also a contributor to blogging.LA, flagship site of the Metblogs Network. In 2011, she acquired Metblogs and now runs the entire international network—consisting of over 50 sites worldwide— as its Publisher/CEO.  Joz was nominated in 2013 for the Women’s Media Center Social Media Award.

1501036_10152519055404744_7051760714762255023_oKaren Teegarden is President and CEO of UniteWomen.org and UniteWomen.org ACTION.  Karen manages UniteWomen.org’s broad range of issues which include advancing reproductive freedom, promoting diversity and ending racism, ensuring economic justice, winning LGBTQ rights, stopping violence against women, Unite Against Rape, protecting our environment, voting rights, and achieving full equality for women in our Constitution.

LIndaLinda Miklowitz has been working for the ERA since 1981 when she switched careers from journalism to law and moved to Tallahassee. She is a former president of FL NOW and Tallahassee NOW and FL Coordinator of United4Equality, Inc.   Linda is determined to see ratification in her lifetime and those of her son and daughter, both of whom need a guarantee of equal protection on the basis of sex.

 

PaulaPaula J. Caplan is a clinical and research psychologist, author of books and plays, playwright, actor, director, and activist. She received her A.B. with honors from Radcliffe College of Harvard University, and received her M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from Duke University.  Currently an Associate at the DuBois Institute, Harvard University, a former Fellow at the Women and Public Policy Program of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard; a Lecturer in Harvard’s Program on Women, Gender, and Sexuality and in the Psychology Department.

FullSizeRenderSarah Kurtz is a mother of two children, a business Lawyer, a film producer and an activist for women and children’s rights. She was invited to speak about parental abduction at a congressional briefing organized by the office of Sheila Jackson Lee. She then launched ProtectiveMoms to demand Congress to rectify the Law about mothers and children rights.  Children need their mothers to get them a voice. Sarah is speaking about the injustice mothers are encountering in the judicial system. Mothers are jailed and silenced for protecting their children from their abusers.

SandySandy Oestreich founder-president of National Equal Rights Alliance Inc, and ERA Education Inc. is a Professor  Emerita at Adelphi U., NY, nurse practitioner, and a former elected official.  She has co-authored internationally distributed pharmacology reference texts.  Biographed in Feminists Who Changed America, the 2014 Recipient,  AAUW/FL “Woman of Distinction” 2012 Recipient, County LWVoters Susan B. Anthony “Failure is Impossible” award.  Wife and mom .

TaylarTaylar Nuevelle currently works as a member of the Jail and Prisons Advocacy Project team at University Legal Services where she assists with the Women’s Resiliency and Reentry Project.  This project provides assistance to females returning from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, DC Department of Corrections, or residing at the Fairview Halfway House who struggle with mental illness apply for SSI/SSDI benefits.  While incarcerated at the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA/CTF) DC, and in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, from 2010 to 2015, Ms. Nuevelle volunteered by providing legal advocacy for fellow incarcerated women. She is a trauma survivor and an advocate for incarcerated and returning female citizens.  Ms. Nuevelle is a writer and holds a BA in Literature.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *