coalition programming
Saturday, May 20, 12pm–5pm
Cielo Gallery/Studios: 3201 Maple Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011
FemJam is an intersectional feminist symposium that will bring together both seasoned activists and folks new to resistance from across LA to discuss complex issues women face locally, build advocacy and interpersonal skills, and help grow networks and coalitions between feminists in our city. The stakes are higher than ever, particularly for those from marginalized communities, so we all need to show up for each other to build community, deepen our knowledge, discover new tools, and organize!
This event is open to all ages, skills and experience levels, and perspectives; but privileges the voices and experiences of women (cis and trans), and those who are queer, gender non-conforming and non-binary. All participants must be prepared to put the following principles into practice:
Feminism: you’re committed to fundamental liberation and equality for ALL women.
Political/Social Action: you are ready (or already working) to challenge systems of power that perpetuate oppression by governments, economies, institutions, corporations, individuals, and communities.
Intersectionality: feminism that embraces all identities and experiences, addresses all oppressions, and understands that no women are free until ALL women are free.
Jamming: you want to grow, challenge your assumptions, build skills and power, expand your network, and explore fun and creative ways of doing it!
We’ll have three interactive segments:
Session 1 (Panel and discussion)– 12:15 to 1:30pm
“We Don’t Need Allies, We Need Accomplices: What does intersectionality* look like in practice?”
This panel will feature local women leading social justice movements and organizing efforts to share experiences and anecdotes from their work, and discuss what true intersectionality looks like. We’ll discuss the difference between being an ally and an accomplice, nurturing sustainable movements for justice BEYOND Trump and pink pussy hats, and strategies for building meaningful collaborations.
Session 2 (Interactive workshop)– 1:45 to 4:00pm
“Putting Intersectionality into Practice: Building Skills and Knowledge”
Participants will spend time rotating between various table groups (think speed dating minus all the things we hate about it!) to dig into facilitated group discussions, and create a report back summary of their findings around the following respective topics:
- “Role Play: Calling Out / Calling In” will give attendees skills for calling out oppressive behavior, and tools for supporting others in their efforts to expand knowledge and perspectives.
- “From Each According to Her Ability (Personal Activism and Self-Care)” will focus on strategies to make our activism personally sustainable AND constantly challenging us to grow.
- “Culturally Competent Feminism” will help us refine our understanding of what culturally competent feminism is, and explore what that means for our diverse community in LA.
- “Abolitionist Feminism: Feminist accomplice in law, policy, and enforcement” will ask participants to examine their responses to crime and violence that rely on police and carceral institutions, and reevaluate their personal relationships to those institutions through an intersectional feminist lens.
- “Feminism in Labor” will explore the personal and structural barriers women face in their worklife, how to advocate for a more feminist work environment, and discuss strategies for overcoming challenges and making advancements.
- “Fighting Attacks on Healthcare: An intersectional, trans-inclusive and gender non-conforming approach” will identify concrete steps for countering attacks on women’s health, while ensuring our actions do not feed into trans-exclusionary policy or white supremacist oppression.
Session 3 (After Party)– 4 to 5pm
“FemJam After Jam!”
Participants can unwind, mingle, and discuss next steps over refreshments at the After Jam! Attendees can visit booths where they can meet local groups and learn about actions, provide feedback on FemJam and suggest next steps, make art, explore feminist resources, and relax and reflect after an afternoon of challenging but rewarding conversations.
FemJam organizers and participants include:
- Los Angeles Women’s Impact Collective (LAWIC)
- Feminist Magazine KPFK
- Feminist Library on Wheels (FLOW)
- The Hampton Institute: Working Class Think Tank
- Intersectionality NOW
- Equal Pay Company
