SPEAKING FIERCE: Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney in Oakland Thursday

Press Release: Cynthia McKinney Comes to Oakland for 'SPEAKING FIERCE'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2008

Contact: Elisa Gahng
510-444-2700 x304
egahng [at] coloredgirls.org

CONGRESSWOMAN CYNTHIA MCKINNEY
COMES TO OAKLAND FOR ‘SPEAKING FIERCE’

Oakland, Feb 29 – Green Party Presidential Candidate and former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney will come to Oakland’s SPEAKING FIERCE, Women of Color Resource Center’s (WCRC) International Women’s Day Celebration.SPEAKING FIERCE is an evening of art, spoken word, humor and music on Thursday, March 6 from 7:00-9:00pm at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison Street.

“Ms. McKinney was the first African American Congresswoman in Georgia, a tireless advocate of women of color and even a past recipient of our annual Sisters of Fire Award,” says WCRC Executive Director Anisha Desai.“We are extremely honored to have her join us in celebrating women’s struggle for equality, peace and justice all over the world.”Ms. McKinney announced her candidacy for the 2008 Green Party presidential nomination on December 11, 2007.

In addition to a talk by Congresswoman McKinney, SPEAKING FIERCE brings together a trio of all-star female performers whose creative voices empower and uplift young women of color.Bushra Rehman, a Brooklyn-based Pakistani poet, whose stories of runaway hitchhiking Desi girls from Queens have been described by Ishle Yi Park as “a little bundle of magic,” will perform selected poetry and spoken word.

“SPEAKING FIERCE is a chance to tap into a worldwide celebratory energy of what it means to be a woman – our strength and our ability to overcome,” says Ms. Rehman.“Sadly we live in a world where violence against women is all too common.”

Acclaimed hip-hop duo Climbing PoeTree will also rock the mic with their powerhouse performances on social issues involving race, class, gender and sexuality; and rising electro-soul star Jennifer Johns will sing selections from her critically acclaimed debut album, heavyelectromagneticsoularpoetic-junglehop.

SPEAKING FIERCE will also present SWAN and TEMPO.SWAN, the Service Women’s Action Network, is a burgeoning network of women veterans who share their experiences to speak out against the war.TEMPO, the Technological Empowerment & Media Project of Oakland, is a media production training program for low-income women of color.Women from both groups will be on hand to share their powerful stories of transformation.

This event is co-sponsored by Art in Action, BAY-Peace, Colorlines Magazine, Codepink, Courage to Resist, EBASE (East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy), East Bay Peace Action, Global Exchange, Global Women's Fund, National Radio Project, Peace Action West, Rainforest Action Network, Speakout, War Times, The Women's Building, Women's International League of Peace & Freedom (SF Branch).

For more details on speakers and the documentary, please see their enclosed bios.For more information or for interviews with speakers, contact Elisa Gahng at 510-444-2700 x304.

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