Posted by Sylvia Ferrell-Jones on Fri, Nov 18, 2011 @ 12:39 PM
Tell the Super Committee To Pass a Fair Deal! The Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction also known as the “Super Committee” is approaching a deadline of November 23, 2011 to craft a deficit-reduction package of at least $1.2 trillion.
Media reports have outlined proposals released by committee members that would make changes to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and vital human needs programs, and decrease taxes for people making over $250,000 a year-proposals that have been rejected over and over again by people in poll after poll.
Please contact your members of Congress and tell them the committee must not pass a bad deal that leaves our country worse off.
Action:
1)To find your members of Congress, click here. You will need to make three calls; one to your Representative and one to each of your Senators. To find if your member of Congress is on the Super Committee, click here.
2)Call (888) 907-1485 to be connected to your member’s office and give them the message below.
Message:
My name is __________ and I am with YWCA Boston. I am also a constituent. I understand the Super Committee is working on a deal to address the deficit. I would ask the Representative/Senator to urge his/her colleagues on the committee to support the following:
1) Revenue and military spending must be part of a balanced approach to the deficit.
2) No eligibility and benefits changes to entitlement programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and SNAP/Food Stamps.
3) No additional cuts to domestic discretionary programs, including the Community Development Block Grant and no changes to the charitable deduction.
I also strongly oppose extending tax cuts for people making over $250,000 a year. These tax cuts have been rejected in poll after poll by the American people. And extending them would add trillions of dollars to deficit, making reducing the deficit even tougher.
The Super Committee must address the deficit with a balanced approach and not take steps that will add trillions to our deficit. Thank you.“
Sylvia Ferrell Jones is the President & CEO of YWCA Boston, America's first YW.
Posted by Sylvia Ferrell-Jones on Thu, Jul 28, 2011 @ 06:31 AM
This week, the Urban League is hosting its national conference in Boston. This pioneering, largely black organization last visited our city 35 years ago, when the annual conference came to Boston to demonstrate solidarity with the local black community during the city’s school busing crisis. It is well known that Boston has an image as a city that it is not welcoming, and a recent national opinion survey revealed that African Americans rank Boston at the bottom of 9 metropolitan areas when it comes to being hospitable to persons of color. Those who had actually visited Boston had a lower opinion than those who had not.
On Tuesday, Mayor Menino held a reception to welcome the Urban League conventioneers to Boston. While most of the conference activities will be held at the convention center, this event was at Hibernian Hall in the heart of Roxbury’s Dudley Square. The Mayor thought it important that visitors see not only our impressive downtown skyline, but also a vibrant, mostly African American neighborhood. Guests at the reception included many business and civic leaders, along with a substantial number of state and local elected officials. As I left Hibernian Hall and walked down Dudley Street toward my car, a woman stopped me to ask what was happening inside the hall. She noted the numerous police motorcycles and cars parked on the street, and asked if I had been at the funeral of a police officer. Fortunately, I was able to tell her that this was a celebratory occasion welcoming the Urban League’s national conference to Boston. I explained that the Mayor and organizers wanted to make sure that convention attendees saw a part of the community outside of the downtown area. The woman shared this news with two others who had been watching and wondering with her. One commented, “They should put that on the news. Good things happen in Roxbury too, not just people getting shot.”
I agree with her comment. There has been much in the press about the presence of the Urban League conference in Boston after so many years, and also about the terrible violence on some of our city streets. But as my new acquaintance so aptly pointed out, good things happen in Roxbury, too. We should all be paying attention.
Sylvia Ferrell-Jones is President & CEO of YWCA Boston.
Posted by Sylvia Ferrell-Jones on Thu, Jun 16, 2011 @ 01:59 PM
On behalf of YWCA Boston, I’m both pleased and excited to announce that we will be re-launching Boston’s well regarded LeadBoston and InIt social justice leadership programs (www.bostonccj.org ) later this year.
Through an exclusive licensing agreement with the Boston Center for Community and Justice, YWCA Boston will continue these programs and focus Boston’s current and future leaders on both understanding the most pressing social issues facing Boston today and working to build a better Boston.
With more than two dozen graduates of LeadBoston among YWCA Boston board members, management, volunteers, staff and supporters, we well know the power and importance of these programs and their ability to affect personal and professional social change. We are also delighted to have BCCJ’s three professional program staff joining YWCA Boston to help ensure the same high standards that have been a hallmark of BCCJ programs.
YWCA Boston’s licensing of these programs is part of a larger strategic shift as we tackle systemic social issues with concerted, holistic strategies. Working across racial, religious, gender and economic divides, YWCA Boston is working to use evidence-based programs to achieve its key initiatives: educating Boston’s at-risk populations on health topics; supplementing and supporting the work of key community health, education and safety service providers; and engaging the city’s corporate, civic and philanthropic leaders to create practices and policies that assist all Bostonians in achieving the dignity they deserve.
This realignment of priorities and programs occurs as YWCA Boston celebrates 145 years of pursuing and achieving greater social justice for all Bostonians. The city, the country and our organization have come far since 1866, when YWCA Boston’s founders pursued voting rights for women and people of color, provided desegregated, affordable lodging and housing, improved child labor laws and provided access to education for women and new immigrants.
While much has been accomplished, more remains to be done:
- women are still paid less than their male counterparts and remain underrepresented in the legislature and in corporate board rooms;
- hate crimes have increased in Boston during three of the last four years;
- black men continue to be imprisoned at a disproportionate rate, and women of color continue to face dramatic health disparities;
- the rights of legal immigrants are imperiled;
- Boston remains one of the most racially segregated cities in America
- the richest Bostonians are getting richer while critical social services are diminishing for the poorest Bostonians.
Indeed, many social injustices in Boston today are institutional, taking on a virulent life of their own beyond the best intentions of Boston’s civic leaders.
History – YWCA’s and the city’s – has shown that working with only one segment affected by inequalities gets us only so far. The same is true for talk without action, and action without talk. We believe that by educating and then facilitating interactions and efforts among and between all segments and sectors of our community’s population, we can steadily and measurably improve social cohesion and reduce racial and gender disparities in key sectors and neighborhoods of Boston.
Changing people’s hearts, minds and actions is difficult work. It will require the best tactical, intellectual and financial resources of any undertaking, and require an unwavering dedication to the vision of what we can be as a city and community.
We invite you to join us as we redouble our efforts to make Boston the best, most vibrant and inclusive city in America.
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Sylvia Ferrell-Jones (LeadBoston 1999) is the President and CEO of YWCA Boston, one of America's oldest, continually operating social justice organizations.
Posted by Sylvia Ferrell-Jones on Tue, Apr 26, 2011 @ 10:30 PM
YWCA Boston (http://www.ywcaboston.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women has mobilized more than 70 organizations and 5,000 Bostonians to join its national Stand Against Racism day on April 29, 2011. The national civic engagement project will raise awareness that racism still exists in our communities and that it should not be ignored or tolerated.
To date, more than 70 Greater Boston companies, schools and community organizations have signed on, each developing its own effort or “stand” to promote diversity. Participating sites include, among others: Neighborhood Health Plan, Liberty Mutual, Boston Public Health Commission, Simmons College, Boston Children’s Museum, Third Sector New England, Mass College of Art, Holland & Knight, Paradigm Properties, Roxbury Youth Works, Big Sisters of Greater Boston, Fisher College, the Mass. Bar Association and the Museum of Science. Events include a human diversity chain across the Fort Point Channel, a “Dance Against Racism”, and a special advance screening of the PBS’s American Experience upcoming documentary Freedom Riders, which chronicles a critical period of the Civil Rights Movement.
According to the most recent census data, Boston is 11th amongst large cities for the most extreme residential segregation between blacks and whites. In addition, Boston ranks 4th in Hispanic/white segregation and 5th in Asian/white segregation. At the same time, the Hispanic and Asian populations have grown substantially creating a more diverse city.
YWCA Boston joins 70 other YWCAs nationwide in promoting the April 29th Stand Against Racism to combat the spread of hate and intolerance, and to honor and celebrate the richness of diversity. A schedule of events and participating organizations can be found at www.ywcaboston.org/stand-against-racism/
Background:
Founded in 1866, YWCA Boston is America’ first YWCA. For more than 140 years YWCA Boston has worked to eliminate racism and empower women. Today’s YWCA provides critical direct services in the community. They include mobile health and wellness education for women and girls; breast cancer survivor support; adult, interracial community dialogues; youth civic engagement, and financial literacy programs for working women. YWCA Boston sponsors Boston’s Academy of Women Achievers and an annual, city-wide Stand Against Racism. To learn more about YWCA Boston, visit www.ywcaboston.org, or follow the organization on Linked In, Twitter and Facebook.
Posted by Sylvia Ferrell-Jones on Fri, Apr 01, 2011 @ 04:39 PM
The following is testimony presented by YWCA Boston CEO Sylvia Ferrell-Jones to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, April 23, 2011.
YWCA Boston is community health organization focused on gender and racial equality. The first YWCA in the United States, we are 145 years young. Our mission is to eliminate racism and empower women in Boston, and we promote a vision of peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. I say that we are young because our work has evolved over time to meet the community's current, pressing needs.
While the programs at YWCA Boston are varied, my comments today are focused on a critical crossroads of race and gender: namely the significant health disparities of Boston black women.
I would like to more specifically address the issue of breast cancer, the number two cause of death for black women in Boston. Recent studies from the Boston Public Health Commission study show that - because of the efforts of the city, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, community health organizations and community educators like YWCA Boston, breast cancer screening rates for black women in Boston are the highest of any racial group - a very different scenario than 20 years ago. This suggests great progress of which we should be proud.
However, while black women are screened at a higher rate, their mortality rate continues to be significantly higher than that of any other group. Why? It could be because of the types of cancer black women contract are more aggressive. It could relate to the time of detection and the types of treatment, and that access to treatment and the ability to complete a full course of treatment are still compromised for low-income women of color. It could also be that, compounding these issues, while black women make up 24% of the female Boston population, they make up only 3 – 5 % of the population of women being treated for breast cancer at Boston’s major teaching hospitals. What can be done to make sure Boston’s black female residents have the same access to the highest quality care as white women who come to Boston's world-renowned medical institutions for care?
Additionally, there have been more than 100 scientific studies that connect systemic racism to the chronic health issues affecting women of color. This issue was highlighted just recently by a WBUR report this week examining lower birth weight rates for black babies born in Boston. While city and nonprofit organizations, including hospitals, must address these direct health issues, we must all work together to address the underlying racism cause. We invite the MCSW and other organizations to join us as we address racism directly.
On April 29, 2011, YWCA Boston will hold its second annual Stand Against Racism. This is a day of advocacy organized by YWs across the nation to acknowledge that racism still exists and that it cannot be ignored or tolerated. I invite the Commission and all other organizations to register at www.standagainstracism.org to participate and take a stand against racism on April 29. Thank you for your kind attention.
Posted by Kathryn Henderson on Wed, Mar 16, 2011 @ 11:21 AM
YWCA Boston facilitators are leading 1 hour dialogues based on the Native American Talking Circle. The dialogue complements the “Race: Are We So Different?” exhibit at the Museum of Science. This activity is a non-confrontational way to explore and foster diversity, as well as to learn a valuable communication technique. The dialogues will offer a facilitated discussion where all participants are invited to reflect on their experiences in learning about and experiencing race as a factor in their lives and communities.
Posted by Lesly Alvarado on Mon, Mar 07, 2011 @ 03:18 PM
The public celebration of US women's history began in 1978 as "Women's History Week" in Sonoma County, California. The week including March 8, International women’s day, was selected. In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) co-sponsored a joint Congressional resolution proclaiming a national Women's History Week. In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month, and March was declared Women's History Month.
Some Famous Firsts by American Women:
First published American woman writer, Anne Bradstreet – 1650
First charitable organization for women in America, established by Anne Parrish – 1795
First woman in the U.S. to earn a medical degree, Elizabeth Blackwell - 1849
First black woman to receive an M.D. degree, Rebecca Lee Crumpler – 1864
First woman to graduate from dental school, Lucy Hobbs - 1866
To learn more about famous firsts by women continue checking our Facebook and twitter account.
Posted by YWCA USA on Fri, Feb 25, 2011 @ 03:24 PM
Politicians say that budgets are moral documents that outline the priorities of a government and its people. Last week the focus in Washington was what to do about fiscal year 2011 spending, which has yet to be completed, and President Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2012. By the end of the week the talk in Washington was not, ‘why should we cut spending during an economic downturn,’ but, 'how much should we cut and from which programs'. The bottom line: the cuts are coming and they will hurt women, children and families. Below is a summary of what programs are on the chopping block and how you can take action to prevent them from being cut.
FY 2011 and the House CR
Currently, the federal government is operating on a continuing resolution until March 4, 2012. Advocates expect Congress to pass another short-term CR before completing work on a longer-term budget for the remaining seven months of FY2011 (through September 30, 2011).
Last week the House of Representatives passed H.R.1, a continuing resolution, which would fund the government for the remaining seven months of FY2011, by a vote of 235-189. Many Republicans voted for the bill, all Democrats, and a handful of Republicans voting against it. The bill would cut $61 billion from current 2010 spending levels. (Equal to a $100 billion cut from President Obama’s 2011 budget.)
H.R.1 eliminates funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS) and Planned Parenthood. H.R.1 cuts funding from programs that help women and children including:
- Head Start by $1 billion and the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) by $39 million;
- Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) by $405 million and the Community Development Block Grant by $2.49 billion; and
- billions of dollars from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and hundreds of millions of dollars from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program.
The Senate will begin to work on their CR the week of February 28. Advocates do not expect the Senate to vote on H.R.1 when they return after recess. However, the Senate may put forth their own cuts.
President Obama's FY 2012 Budget
In addition to the action on the CR, on Monday, February 14, President Obama released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.
The budget proposal would fund the fiscal year that starts on October 1, 2011 and ends on September 30, 2012. In comparison to H.R. 1, the budget takes a modest approach to reducing government spending, recognizing that cutting too much too soon would result in job losses and could further weaken the economy. The budget freezes discretionary spending which funds vital safety-net programs, cuts military spending, and recommends the tax cuts for individuals making $200,000 or more a year expire in 2013. The budget also cuts some vital programs that help women, children and families including the Community Services Block Grant, Community Development Block Grant, and the Low Income Energy Assistance (LIHEAP).
What You Can Do!
Call: It is essential that you contact your Members of Congress. To contact your Member of Congress, call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the office of your Representative or Senators. You will need to make three calls- one to each of your members. To find the name of your member of Congress, click here.
- Message: My name is _______ and I am a constituent. I am calling to ask the Representative/Senator to pass a yearlong continuing resolution at current funding levels with no cuts to programs that help women and children, including the community development block grant, or the child care development block grant.
Women and children did not cause the deficit and they should not be punished for it.
Attend town hall meetings! Contact your Senators' and Representative's district offices and ask if they are hosting any town halls in February or March. Show up and speak on the programs important to you. To find contact information for your members of Congress, click here.
Learn More:
Posted by Kathryn Henderson on Thu, Jan 20, 2011 @ 03:50 PM
Upon returning to work following the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, I received a link to the following headline “FBI: Bomb Found on MLK March Route.”
The article reports that a explosive device intended to send shrapnel into a crowd was found and detonated along the route of a planned MLK march in Spokane, Washington. Thankfully, the device was discovered and the march was able to proceed as scheduled. The article was a reminder for me of the importance of our mission of eliminating racism.
Several times that day, I mentioned the story to friends and colleagues. Overwhelmingly, the response was, “Now? This happened now?” Each person thought I was referring to a march during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
I can understand why. Racism has taken on new forms, some of them quieter and more insidious.The tactic used in Spokane underscores this: An individual or group anonymously placed the bomb instead of wearing their hate openly.
But whatever form racism takes, it does not diminish its impact or make it less painful or costly to individuals or our communities. The more individuals speak up and acknowledge racism’s continued damaging role, the harder it will be for hate to flourish. To learn more about YWCA Boston’s racial justice efforts, please visit our Community Dialogues and Stand Against Racism pages.
Kathryn Henderson is Programs Group Leader for YWCA Boston's interracial dialogues program.
Posted by Sylvia Ferrell-jones on Wed, Nov 03, 2010 @ 03:12 PM
October has come and gone and so has Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The summer leaves are gone and the ribbons and pink specialty products are almost all put away. But like the reality of a cold winter setting in, the reality of breast cancer continues. This most feared of all cancers continues to befall, maim and kill too many - our sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. And, while black women are less likely to develop breast cancer than white women, they are more likely to die from it.
Such persistent breast cancer disparities are well documented, and for more than 20 years, YWCA Boston has worked tirelessly to reduce them. The figures are improving ever so slightly, we cannot rest on our laurels.
Focusing on new research and best practices, YWCA Boston has redoubled its efforts to ensure that its health outreach, education, medical referrals and support to more than 4,000 women and girls are directly creating positive outcomes for them.
From broadening our education and referral role with seven community health centers, to implementing a new data management and client assessment system, to launching new technologies and programs to connect women with their healthcare, your YW is doing more to improve women's health. Please check out our annual Persimmon and Pink Report to learn more about our work. We hope you will be interested in joining our fight against breast cancer.
Sylvia Ferrell-Jones is President and CEO of America's first YWCA.