Happy International Women’s Day 2018! Over the past year, we’ve witnessed a surge in the dialogue around issues that women face: discrimination, sexual harassment, the wage gap, violence and more. We’re inspired by this conversation — because the more we can collectively bring these issues to light, the more we can move toward gender equality.
In honor of International Women’s Day 2018 and the incredible women we’re honored to work with day in and day out, we wanted to recognize a few ladies (who also happen to be our neighbors!) who are blazing trails on the path toward inclusivity and equality. Read on for more and get ready to be inspired!
The Brown Mama Monologues
In 2014, one of our favorite bloggers and Pittsburgh neighbor, Muffy, first gathered a small group of moms to form Pittsburgh Brown Mamas. Today, the organization reaches nearly 2,000 African-American moms weekly. Their purpose is one anyone can get behind: “making moms better moms so that dads can become better dads, children become better adults and, ultimately, communities become better communities.”
This Mother’s Day weekend, Muffy and the Pittsburgh Brown Mamas will kick off the inaugural Brown Mama Monologues show. The event will feature 10 phenomenal moms of color who will share their trials, triumphs and stories of inspiration, bringing to life the unique experience of what it’s like to be an African-American mom in America.
You can buy tickets to the Brown Mama Monologues at this link!
Women of Achievement Awards: Beverly’s Birthdays & 412 Food Rescue
Earlier this month, our fearless leader, Cooper Munroe, was one of 23 women honored at the 13th annual Women of Achievement Awards (benefiting the amazing Cribs for Kids organization) in Pittsburgh. These awards recognize the accomplishments and contributions these special women bring to their professional fields and communities. Each of the women honored is on her own unique journey, but a common thread among the award recipients is that they are all on a mission to uplift. While we could write a novel about the significant contributions of all those honored, here is how a few of them are spreading messages of hope and happiness.
Beverly’s Birthdays: Seven years ago, Megs Yunn met a young girl, Beverly, who told her she’d never had her own birthday party or slice of birthday cake. That inspired Megs to start an organization that celebrated birthdays for homeless children in the Pittsburgh region: Beverly’s Birthdays. Her organization aims to ensure no child is forgotten on his or her special day, and to date, they’ve created more than 25,000 birthday experiences!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf8QT6oBDVZ/
412 Food Rescue: Did you know that 40 percent of food that’s produced goes to waste? As the CEO and co-founder of 412 Food Rescue, Leah Lizarondo is an active food, health and innovation advocate who bridges the gap between food waste, hunger and environmental sustainability. By working with food distributors, retailers, caterers, restaurants, shelters, housing and backpack projects, and soup kitchens, her organization and partners have transformed what would have been landfill fodder into nutritious food for those who might not otherwise have it. All of that work has translated to rescuing more than 2.8 million pounds of surplus food, creating more than 2.35 million meals!
Cancer Be Glammed
Lisa Lurie started Cancer Be Glammed in 2009 with Ellen Kander, a fellow mom who also “experienced first-hand how hard it can be to hang onto your dignity and self-esteem while battling the side effects of cancer treatment.” Ellen lost her battle with cancer in 2012, and Lisa’s continued work, which she says is Ellen’s legacy, has — for nearly a decade — helped women across the country diagnosed with all forms of cancer prepare for various forms of treatment, and to recover with style and confidence.
#SingleMomDefined
Heather Hopson, another fellow Pittsburgher, communicator, mom and founder of Diary of a First Time Mom, is changing the conversation on how single black moms are portrayed.
“When you Google ‘Single Black Moms are,’ the results, although not shocking, are quite disappointing,” said Heather.
Her latest project, #SingleMomDefined, will change that. The project is a photo essay and video series, and includes a writing workshop, a traveling exhibition and a global art installation featuring 50 amazing moms she personally knows. The effort will elevate the voices of single black mothers and provide a much more accurate definition of life in their worlds: life where their children use words like “graceful,” “strong” and “respectful” when talking about their moms – a reality that doesn’t always exist in Google’s search results.
Love and thanks to these women, and so many more, for helping us all #PressforProgress toward equality through their creative visions and efforts! These are just a handful of the many women (and men) who are advancing the conversation and movement toward equality. Tell us: who inspires you on International Women’s Day 2018?
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