YWCA Greater Austin

Sharing the story of Joy Harjo - poet, United States Poet Laureate, musician, and educator. #WomensHistoryMonth Harjo wrote her first poem in 8th grade. Since then, she has published nearly a dozen books of poetry, some children's books, and other writings. These works have won awards and prestige and earned Joy a place in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the National Women's Hall of Fame, and the Native American Hall of Fame. She takes inspiration from her family, her culture, her people and their history. She uses oral history and her writing to explore many concepts including violence against women, racism, and colonization. Among her many many many accolades, Joy was the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, serving 3 terms. Harjo, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, was the first Native American to hold this position. She is a notable figure in the second wave of the literary Native American Renaissance. Harjo has said that she writes and tells stories as "a voice of the Indigenous people". Joy has taught for a number of universities, published music, poetry, and books, uplifting the experiences of women, Native women, and Native Americans. Looking forward to what she does next! #ONEYWCA #useyourvoice #changemaker #empowerchange #EliminateRacism #empowerwomen #poetry #ourpower #herstory #celebratewomen

Sharing the story of Marian Wright Edelman - civil rights and children's rights activist and lawyer. #womenshistorymonth Edelman values education and was encouraged by her father to stick to her studies. Eventually, she became the first Black women to be admitted to the Mississippi Bar. She worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund's. practicing law focused on civil rights and racial issues. Her work inspired civil rights leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Marian started to focus on children's rights and children's issues. She founded the Children's Defense Fund in 1973 to provide research and advocacy for children, particularly children of color, those with disabilities, and those in poverty. She worked on a number of school desegregation cases, worked to change foster and adoption care, and advocates for adolescence pregnancy prevention and prenatal care. Edelman has received numerous awards and speaks to the responsibility that we all, as citizens of this country, have in making our country a better place and in protecting youth. #ONEYWCA #useyourvoice #changemaker #empowerchange #EliminateRacism #empowerwomen #ourpower #herstory #celebratewomen #civilrights #childrensrights #supportfamilies #helpfamilies #strengthencommunities

Furniture and office supply sale tomorrow! We're downsizing our office space, and we have lots of desks, tables, lamps, office supplies, toys, etc. that won't fit in our new office. We'd love for these items to go to nonprofit organizations or community members who need them. Come check it out! 2015 S. IH 35, Suite 110 from 10am-4pm on Saturday, March 29th https://lnkd.in/gtc6g67B #sale #furniture #furnituresale #supportnonprofit #nonprofit #community

Sharing the story of Gloria Steinem - journalist and activist. #WomensHistoryMonth Stiem, turns 91st today and shares her birthday this year with #EqualPayDay - knowing the work that she has put in to bring women and women's equity to the forefront, I'm sure she would appreciate the work being done today and all days to close the #WageGap. Gloria Steinem, in some ways following in the footsteps of her incredible, feminist grandmother Pauline Perlmutter Steinem, became one of the leaders of the second-wave feminist movement. Throughout her career, Gloria has been using her voice as a journalist and public speaker to highlight gender inequity and center women's empowerment. She co-founded the magazine "Ms." and co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus, the Women's Action Alliance, and the Women's Media Center. These organizations support women in government, in legislative action, and in the media respectively. Steinem has been involved in a number of protests and women's advocacy and women's advancement movements in the US and globally. She remains politically and socially engaged, discusses women's empowerment in interviews and in her writing. #ONEYWCA #breakbarriers #removetheglassceiling #empowerchange #EliminateRacism #empowerwomen #feminism

More than 50 years after Dr. Dorothy I. Height introduced YWCA’s One Imperative — to eliminate racism, wherever it exists, by any means necessary — the ideal of #ONEYWCA continues its forward movement toward racial justice. Happy Birthday Dr. Dorothy Height! Your vision for a world free of racism is what we strive for every day. #DorothyHeight #WomensHistoryMonth

Sharing the story of Aisha Taymur - poet, novelist, women's rights advocate. #WomensHistoryMonth Taymur spoke three languages, writing poetry and studying religion in Arabic, Turkish and Persian. Helping to educate her brother after her father's death and writing poetry that opposed gendered segregation in education starting at age 13. Aisha is known as the "mother of Egyptian feminism". She worked alongside others to advocate for education, especially for women, and to challenge colonialism. Her writing is still influential today and she used her religious writing to showcase the rights of women in Islam. By using the term insan (human), instead of man she removed gender from the reading of Islam and instead focused on human rights. #ONEYWCA #useyourvoice #changemaker #empowerchange #EliminateRacism #empowerwomen

Want to learn about reproductive health? Join the conversation on 3/25!

Sharing the story of Helen Rodríguez Trías - physician, women's rights activist, public health advocate, and educator. #WomensHistoryMonth Rodríguez Trías was born in New York, spent early childhood in Puerto Rico, later childhood in NY, then back to Puerto Rico for college. Her later career has followed this pattern too, seeing success as a physician and advocate in both places. During her time at the University of Puerto Rico she was a student advocate, standing up for Puerto Rico's independence. Through her work, Helen saw the disparities in the healthcare system faced by low-income families and those without health insurance. She sought to make abortion services free, to ensure the availability of birth control as well as neonatal care for low-income folks, and to end enforced sterilization. Her work focused primarily on pediatrics and related services. Her efforts and advocacy helped make affordable public health services for families, particularly women and children more available and more inclusive in the US and abroad. #ONEYWCA #useyourvoice #changemaker #empowerchange #EliminateRacism #empowerwomen #lgbt #lgbtrights

Sharing the story of Hope Giselle - national organizer, Diversity and Inclusion specialist, Trans activist, author, and nonprofit leader. #WomensHistoryMonth While in college at Alabama State University, Giselle helped to found the first LGBT organization on campus. Her desire for empowering communities didn't end there - Hope created the nonprofit AllowMe, which promotes the personal and professional growth of young LGBTQ people of color. She is also the author of 2 memoirs - Becoming Hope: Removing the Disguise Until I Met Black Men #ONEYWCA #useyourvoice #changemaker #empowerchange #EliminateRacism #empowerwomen #lgbt #lgbtrights

We want to thank everyone again for your support during Amplify Austin. It really means a lot to us and the families we serve With federal funding freezes and changes in policy looming, local nonprofits need donations of time, supplies, and funds. Volunteer where you can. Have expertise? Provide pro bono work. There's still time to give through Amplify Austin. Make your contribution at https://lnkd.in/gVxuZEZc #AmplifyAustin #youthempowerment #summerprogram #matchingfund #donate #support #nonprofit #youthservices #community #giving #austin #supportYWCA #supportlocal #austinnonprofit #austinnonprofits #STEAM #STEM #youtheducation #socialemotionallearning #socialemotionaldevelopment