Sisterhood
Connection. Community. Healing.
Brenda Ochoa
Jen Self
Fran Davidson
Erin Jones
Kim Jansen
Marla Madrid
Fernell Miller
Mollie Monahan-Kreishman
Michelle Blanchard
Sisterhood Spring Summit
Our first-ever Sisterhood Summit was held virtually on May 23rd!
At Sisterhood Nation, we understand that we live in a white supremacist culture and that in our culture at large, “women” often means “white women”. Coming from the world of K-12 education, we have seen how many mainstream places, that are safe and celebratory for white women and girls, are poisonous and harmful to BIPOC. Sisterhood Nation is committed to being the antidote to this poison. We have to be.
We made a deliberate effort to approach topics of conversation from an intersectional perspective; considering race, disability, immigration status, sexual orientation, and gender identity as layers of accessibility and empathy that are invisible to others. We understand that trans women are women and we welcome our non-binary siblings too.
The Sisterhood Spring Summit on May 23rd focused on our collective growth and healing using trauma-informed, intentionally intersectional approaches in a virtual peacemaking-circle model. We used presenters as springboards into dialogues with our sisters/siblings, using breakout rooms to allow more intimate processing.
The agenda is down below and speakers included: Erin Jones, Fernell Miller, Dr. Jen Self, Dr. Mollie Monahan, Kim Jansen, Fran Davidson, Michelle Blanchard, Marla Madrid, Brenda Ochoa, Girls Rise Up, and many more!
Agenda
8:30-9:00 Optional Early start (Walk with Fernell Miller)
9:00-9:20 Opening (Fernell Miller and Fran Davidson)
9:20-10:00 Breakout Session • Theme: Circle (Fernell)
10:00-10:15 Large group debrief & Transition
10:15-10:35 2nd Presentation (Kim Jansen)
10:35-11:00 Breakout Session • Theme: Challenge Zone
11:00-11:15 Large group debrief & Transition
11:15-11:35 3rd Presentation (Dr. Jen Self)
11:35-12:00 Breakout Session
12:00-12:15 Large group debrief & Transition
12:15-1:00 Lunch break (optional eat and mingle)
1:00-1:30 4th Presentation ((Dr. Mollie Monahan, Brenda Ochoa, Damaris Ibrahim, Michelle Blanchard)
1:30-1:55 Breakout Session • Theme: Life
1:55-2:00 Large group debrief & Transition
2:00-2:35 5th Presentation (Girls Rise Up)
2:35-3:05 Breakout Session
3:05-3:10 Large group debrief & Transition
3:10-3:35 Erin Jones Keynote
3:35-3:50 Guided Meditation by Marla Madrid
3:50-4:00 Art Gallery
4:00pm Optional Afterparty!
Book Club
Sis Nation Book Club: If you're interested in joining us, give us a shout in the comments or messenger and we will add you to the book-club chat. We understand that lives get busy and that we can't always hit the reading target and want to make sure you know you're still welcome if you haven't been able to catch up.
Books considered/explored:
The Memo: what women of color need to know to secure a seat at the table by Minda Harts
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
Burnout: The Secret To Unlocking The Stress Cycle
Tuesday Talks
An effort by Brenda Ochoa and Kim Jansen to create and facilitate Zoom sessions where women & girls can gather and talk. BIPOC community welcome~ We use elements of peacemaking circles as our framework.
We have deep meaningful conversations on topics that range from self esteem, depression, anxiety, women’s empowerment, gender roles, fear, misogyny, mental health, relationships, family dynamics, etc. etc. And we also welcome any other topics any woman would like to bring to the table.
“I want more of what I never had.” - Fernell Miller
We meet every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30PST to have an open and very candid conversation via zoom
