This month’s guest for Couch Conversations was co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter Alicia Garza.
Alicia is an Oakland-based organizer, writer, public speaker, and freedom dreamer who is currently the Special Projects Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the nation’s leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States. Since the rise of the BLM movement, she has become a powerful voice in the media, with articles and interviews featured in Time, Mic, The Guardian, Elle.com, Essence, Democracy Now!, and The New York Times. Most recently, she launched The Black Futures Lab, which transforms Black communities into active, interdependent, responsive public partners that change the way power operates—at the local, state, and national level.
In conversation with Rockwood’s president Akaya Windwood, Alicia opened up and shared what she’s learned over her years of activism:
- Her experiences with grief
- The necessity of joy in our movements
- How essential being present has been to her resilience
- Not letting disappointment and heartbreak end relationships
- The questions she’d ask the universe
… and more!
For the full conversation, check out the video above, and grab your spot for next month’s Couch Conversations with adrienne maree brown on June 28!
Alums in the News
- Sherece West-Scantlebury was guest speaker for the University of Arkansas All-University Commencement ceremony.
- Alicia Garza was a guest on The Brave, a new podcast from FusionTV.
- Nicole Boucher moderated the “Claiming the Torch: Culture, Equity and the Political Moment” panel at PolicyLink’s Equity Summit 2018 with guests Danica Roem, Jeff Chang, and Rukia Lumumba.
- Malkia Cyril discussed Facebook’s civil rights audit and how Amazon sells facial recognition tools to police on Democracy Now!
- angel Kyodo williams was a guest on On Being to talk about the world as our field of practice.
- Saru Jayaraman was a panelist on the podcast Lovett of Leave It, discussing the insidious history of tipping.
- Julie Garreau and the Cheyenne River Youth Project were featured in the short documentary “Lakota in America”, produced by Square.
- Masha Chernyak wrote “Let’s Put Love Back Into Philanthropy” for the Latino Community Foundation blog.
- Catherine Turcer and Camille Wimbish were part of the effort that helped pass a state constitutional amendment against gerrymandering in Ohio.
- Cristina Jiménez was profiled by Selena Gomez for Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2018.
- adrienne maree brown was the subject of two interviews by Justin Scott Campbell: “Earning Our Place on the Planet,” and a follow-up in the wake of Kanye West’s recent remarks on Twitter, “Trauma Makes Weapons of Us All”.
- Linda Sarsour was named one of CNN’s 25 Most Influential Americans Muslims.
- Several alums were included in Justice Funders’ “Liberate Philanthropy” series:
- “Can Money Be Medicine?” by Edgar Villanueva
- “Finding Power in Practice: How Trust Can Liberate Philanthropy from Played Out Narratives” by Pia Infante
- “Using Our Power” by Vanessa Daniel
- “All-In Philanthropy” by Ellen Friedman
Jobs
- San Francisco, CA: Rainforest Action Network is looking for an Employee Experience, Inclusion and Operations Director
- El Paso, TX: ACLU of Texas has an opening for a Border Rights Center Communications Strategist
- New York, NY: SumOfUs has a position open for a US Campaign Manager
