Tag Archives: AAUW_Mission

April Program: Author’s Luncheon on Book Bans

April: Author’s Luncheon on Book Bans By Hedda Smithson

Saturday, April 20, 2024, 11:00 AM
North Ridge Country Club, 7600 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks

ACTION CHECK LIST:

Before April 9-

  • Make your choices on the reservation form below and mail it to arrive no later than April 12.
  • Write a personal check payable to AAUW Sacramento for $32.
  • Gather friends to come with you. AAUW Sacramento Zip Code listings begin on page 31 of our Membership Directory.
  • Think of questions for our panelists.

On April 20-

  • Listen to our panelists: Justin Azevedo, youth materials selector for the Sacramento Public Library, and Brenna Bellavance from Underground Books.
  • Participate in the quizzes and questions.
  • Browse and buy books from Underground Books.
  • Enjoy the lovely North Ridge Country Club and all it offers.

After April 20 on your own or with others-

  • Start a Banned Book Club.
  • Suggest a banned book for your book group.
  • Read a new-to-you banned book.
  • Check out the Book Den for titles.

After April 20 with your favorite device explore these options-

  • Saclibrary.org has :”Let’s Talk About Banned Books”, a panel discussion,
  • Red, Wine and Blue, redwine,blue for podcasts and news.
  • Everylibraryinstitute
  • Americanlibaryassociation

__  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __  __

AAUW Sacramento Branch Author’s Luncheon

Name                                              ______________________________
 (Print, Last, First)

Your email address here:                                                                           

YES! I plan to attend the Author’s Luncheon on April 20 at 11 AM. My reservation must be received no later than April 12.

Meal Choices (circle one in each category):

Main:          Thai Chicken Salad     or  Chicken Piccata     or   Pasta Primavera

Dessert:     Limoncello Cake     or    Fruit Cup

Make your selections. Mail this form and payment of $32 to AAUW Sacramento c/o            Margaret Steinberg, Reservations Coordinator. Margaret’s address can be found in the Membership Directory.

Note: Payment at the door will not be accepted.

Highlights of March Program:

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents: The Rights Stuff

Civil Rights and the Right to Fight for Them By Hedda Smithson

Lisa Howard organized and facilitated our March meeting. Great job! We met at the lovely Roberts Family Development Center (RFDC) where we were more than 30 strong. Jessica Waugh led members and guests in exploring the meaning of  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Cherril Peabody reviewed the requirements and benefits of our scholarship program to staff members of RFDC; Charmen Goehring pointed out opportunities for high school juniors and seniors to take part in Gov Trek, a new AAUW-CA program; Gloria Yost deciphered the meaning and possible impact of NCCWSL. Each is supported by AAUW Sacramento and can offer opportunities to clients and participants of the RFDC.

The amazing Tina Roberts told stories of her journey, along with her husband Derrell, in founding and creating this special family-focused nonprofit organization. We listened to Jaqueline Kendricks and Bryant Wyatt, who passionately shared their vision of two main programs offered by RFDC. Monique Stovall took us deep into the benefits and power of the summer Freedom School from her perspective as a school administrator.

Our hard working and very organized Kathy Papst arranged for light refreshments. Thank you and your team for the amazing snacks.

Lights, Camera, Action is the program theme for 2023-24. Here are some suggested actions for each of us to take:
– Dine at Colo’s Southern Café, 2326 Del Paso Blvd or King Cong Brewing Co, 1709 Del Paso Blvd
– Log onto www.robertsfdc.org  and search for

  • How the Other Half Eats
  • Lyrics for Something Inside So Strong
  • The California Reparation Report
  • AAUW history, a webinar available at aauw.org
  • Saclibrary.org offers opportunities to tutor others in Adult Literacy

President’s Message

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

Welcome Spring! A couple of activities to note this past March:

AAUW Sacramento Branch was well represented at Sacramento County’s Inaugural Women and Girls Festival on March 9. This was the first time in Sacramento that so many people have gathered to celebrate women and girls at a festival organized by women, with women, for women. Mahnaz Khazari, Jan Stuter, Terry Chekon and I hosted an AAUW table at Sac City College. It was also a learning experience that we need a more dynamic presentation to engage passersby, with interesting handouts and perhaps a spinning wheel with prizes.

You can see highlights of the event in these <photos>.

On March 16, the AAUW California Gov Trek Committee hosted the 2024 Gov Trek Finale! Here are the results:

The student campaign team that won the highly contested 2024 Gov Trek mock election competition: Team Vote Eliana. This team includes four high school girls from San Ramon, two from Roseville-South, and one from Santa Cruz County. Congratulations to the members of those branch communities and these up-and-coming leaders! The team members will receive internships and awards.

Watch the Gov Trek Finale and Campaign Competition recording and share it with your branch members HERE.

To view each campaign video, click the team name.
 Grand Prize: Vote Eliana
 Best Candidate Speech: Gov Trek Girlies
 Best Campaign Management: Melissa 4 Riverside
 Best Campaign Ad & Flier: Abby for Senate 
 Best Voter Outreach Plan: Vote Delisha
 People’s Choice Award: Gov Trek Girlies

Title IX – What Is It and Why Is It Important?

AAUW PRIORITIES By Kathy Papst

“Title IX – What Is It and Why Is It Important?”

AAUW was instrumental in championing and supporting legislation for equality for women and girls in schools, colleges and universities, which led to the passage of TITLE IX in 1972. This important law was established “to ensure that male and female students and employees in educational settings that receive federal funding are treated equally and fairly”. It protects against discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment.

This law fundamentally changed how schools treat girls in the academic setting, but also in high school and especially collegiate sports programs. This law forced schools to change both funding and opportunities for equal involvement in sports programs. Before this law was enacted, the NCAA (National College Athletic Association) reported that women’s sports were only 2 percent of the budget for all sports programs in colleges and universities. This includes both participation in and scholarships for athletic endeavor.

At first, there was considerable opposition from administrations and coaches. Many of them felt that if they were to give women equal share in sports funding, then it would force schools to severely reduce or even eliminate some men’s programs. Rules were established for how the funding would reach the goals of equality and has been a tremendous success.

Is TITLE IX still relevant? The 50th anniversary of this legislation was celebrated on June 23, 2022. TITLE IX is much more than athletics. This legislation affects all aspects of education, including, for example:

  • Recruiting and admissions
  • Career and technical education
  • Comparable facilities and course offerings
  • Financial assistance
  • Student health and insurance benefits
  • Sexual harassment and assault
  • Harassment based on gender identity

In 2024 TITLE IX’s work is not done. In recent years, the Department of Education has worked to dismantle many of the TITLE IX protections, including harassment and violence. AAUW encourages support for the GEEA (GENDER EQUITY IN EDUCATION ACT), which would provide, in part, TITLE IX coordinators the resources, training, and technical assistance necessary to ensure that TITLE IX protections are not further eroded. It also would establish an Office of Gender Equity in the Department of Education.

For further information, please go to both the national and California websites. There is a fact sheet on the national website, published in 2022 with the history and developments over the last 50 years of this landmark law. I would like to encourage our members to educate yourselves regarding issues of the ongoing work for equality for women and girls. If you wish to do more, please contact Kathy Papst (my contact information can be found in the Membership Directory) and I will help you to become involved at the branch level to contribute and support this and other Public Policy issues. Thank you.

HOW TO GET THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT PUBLISHED

HOW TO GET THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT PUBLISHED By Liz Jordan

Last October, the Sacramento and CHAR branches held a joint meeting about Reproductive Rights and the Equal Rights Amendment.  We are not alone in believing that the Dobbs Decision in 2022 probably would not, could not, have happened, if the ERA, RATIFIED in January 2020, had been published in the Constitution.  The President, through the Attorney General, instructed the Archivist to not publish the ERA as the 28th Amendment.

We shouldn’t have to beg for fundamental rights, and we shouldn’t have to fight for 100 years for basic equality!  It’s time for action, not excuses.

This year, the ERA Coalition, a coalition of more than 300 rights organizations of which AAUW is a member, has taken the stand that 100 years to wait is long enough.  They have a new campaign “Not One More!”  Recently, they started a companion campaign “Shouting for Equality.”  They are asking all of us who care, to call the U. S. Archivist, Colleen Shogan, to tell her it’s time to officially add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.  Here are the Coalition’s instructions:

Call into the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) general line asking the Archivist to publish the ERA. Please be polite and respectful in your language. We have a sample script for you below!

Call the Archivist directly at 202-357-5900 and leave the following message:

This message is for the U.S. Archivist. My name is …{your name}… and I’m calling from {your state}. I would like to ask you to do your duty and publish the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment. The ERA has fulfilled the requirements set forth in Article V of the Constitution, and we can wait no longer for full constitutional protections. Thank you!

NOTE:  Call Monday-Friday.  The Archives do not take messages on weekends or Federal Holidays.

Also, for more information about these campaigns or to learn more about why the ERA is languishing in political limbo go to https://eracoalition.org; https://equalmeansequal.com; https://www.equalrightsamendment.org

Civil Rights and the Right to Fight for Them

Sacramento Branch of AAUW Presents

“The Rights Stuff” Episode Seven

Civil Rights and the Right to Fight for Them

Lights, Camera, Action!!

                 Saturday March 16, 2024 – 11a.m               

Please join us at the Roberts Family Development Center (RFDC) to learn how this organization fulfills its mission: To provide services to the Greater Sacramento area that meet the individual needs of each family member. The services provide a holistic approach, focusing on Pre K-12th-grade academic support and enrichment, parent education and engagement, and community involvement and advocacy.

RFDC has been lifting up and supporting families living in the predominately black area of Del Paso and North Sacramento for 23 years.  The center provides afterschool care as well as mentorship at multiple underserved schools. It also runs the largest Freedom School program in the Sacramento area during the summer.  RFDC connects community members to programs such as the Black Child Legacy Program, which provides practical resources such as diapers and mental health services, and opportunities for expression such as parent groups and poetry jams.  RFDC offers mentorship and work experience to young people from the community as part of their staffing model for programs.

Join us in a conversation with the women who run RFDC programs about how their programs are designed to support the women and families in Del Paso.

Here are the details:

  • Address: 766 Darina Ave., Sacramento, CA 95815
  • Register on Eventbrite <here> no later than Thursday, March 14
  • Organizer: Lisa Howard
  • Want to add some extra fellowship and adventure? Colo’s Southern Cafe is right across the parking lot from RFDC and opens at 1:00 if you would like to continue fellowship and get a bite to eat – think soul food and seafood. The address is 2326 Del Paso Blvd.

Here are some ideas for more ACTION:

  • Explore more about the center by logging on to robertsfdc.org.
  • Sign up for the newsletter by providing your email address on their website.
  • Check out “How the Other Half Eats” and/or “Something Inside So Strong Lyrics” and/or “The California Reparation Report” with your internet search engine.

President’s Message

President’s Message By Nancy McCabe

The Jan. 31 email from AAUW California Public Policy News outlined the basic tenets of the new School Board Project. This involves monitoring local school board meetings to determine whether they are adhering to the state’s 2016 framework in history and social sciences, which requires schools to strongly emphasize student inquiry and reflects on the contributions of many diverse groups.

“Effective school boards are equity driven, making intentional governance decisions that combat institutional discrimination and bias (both explicit and implicit) and eliminate disparities in educational outcomes based on socioeconomic status, gender orientation, disability or family background.” These are a lot of governmental words that spell out problems that you basically “know them when you see them.”

We are being asked to monitor school board meetings in our area for adherence to these policies, which in common parlance are banning books, and gender or racial discrimination. We share with CHAR seven school districts in our county — Elk Grove, Folsom-Cordova, Natomas, Robla, Sacramento City, San Juan and Twin Rivers. We need a member to pick a district where you have an interest — where you live or have a child or grandchild — and attend their meetings and report issues to our contact person Sue Miller, a member of the Roseville branch.

Anne Just, who has a lot of knowledge of school boards, has agreed to chair this project, but she needs a co-chair, as she is a traveler. If you are concerned about the direction that some groups are attempting to take public schools, please read the above referenced article and contact Anne with your interest. Be assured that California AAUW has assembled a toolkit for us to use — we aren’t reinventing the wheel! You can find the latest AAUW California Public Policy News <here>.

Thank you for your interest and involvement in the education of our children. Let’s give them an equal start in their educational journey.

Membership Happenings and International Women’s Day

Membership Happenings By Gloria Yost and Vicky Lovell

Strengthening our AAUW Sacramento connections and friendships

We’re still waiting for spring to fully burst forth in Sacramento, but at least we have some new members waiting with us!  Invite them to our spring meetings.

Meet our New AAUW Sacramento Members!

We now have 20 new members who have joined this year so far.  If you meet them at an event or a book group or interest group, let them know what you enjoy and appreciate most about our branch — after telling them how glad you are they joined.  Our two newest members are:

  • Zarah Bronstein
  • Rebecca Stone

Welcome all to AAUW Sacramento!

New members were invited to an orientation meeting on Jan. 27, 2024.  They were able to meet members of AAUW Sacramento’s board, the membership team and other active members. If you would like to be part of these special meetings to introduce new members to all our activities and learn what they’re interested in, please let Gloria and Vicky know.

International Women’s Day Event – March 9th

On March 9th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  there will be a women’s festival as Sacramento City College, 3835 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento. Together we will celebrate International Women’s Day and support the wonderful women and girls in our midst with music, art, resources and inspiration.

 

  • Education
  • Health
  • Employment
  • County Services
  • Entertainment – multicultural
  • Financial Literacy
  • Housing
  • Kids Activities and More

Click <here> for the flyer. Contact Charmen Goehring if interested in volunteering.

Celebrating March Birthdays! 

Happy Birthday to All!

  • PJ Missman                                     3/1
  • Patricia Morgan                             3/5
  • Sharon Norris                                3/6
  • Marjorie Patzer                              3/6
  • Julia Maclay                                    3/8
  • Vicky Lovell                                     3/9
  • Andrea Woelfle                              3/11
  • Alice Bauer                                     3/14
  • Mary Lou Lentz                              3/17
  • Carolyn Meeker                             3/17
  • Tracy Ramondini                           3/17
  • Janice Chung                                  3/19
  • Cecilia Delury                                 3/25
  • Elizabeth Jordan                            3/28

AAUW PRIORITIES

AAUW PRIORITIES By Kathy Papst

As Director of Priorities, I have a responsibility to make sure that our branch members really understand the mission for AAUW. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find more members to volunteer for the committees under the umbrella of PRIORITIES. I hope that some of you will take the opportunity to investigate why we are still here after 100-plus years. We can be a force for change for women and girls in California, and even the nation.

The website for AAUW California has a tremendous amount of information regarding the 2023- 25 gender equity through advocacy platform. There are four areas of interest that are priorities for change.

  • Social and Racial Justice for All Members of Society
  • Equal Access to Quality Public Education for All Students
  • Increased Representation of Women in Leadership Roles
  • Economic Security for All Women

These and other issues are on an informational card available on the website by emailing office@aauw.ca.org or you can download them <here> and print them on your home printer.

Legislation supported by AAUW is divided into four levels:

  • A LEVEL Priority
  • B LEVEL
  • C LEVEL
  • WATCH BILLS

In 2023, 19 out of 22 supported bills made it to the Governor’s desk and were SIGNED, which is an 86.3% success rate.

There are so many opportunities to become involved without going to a lot of meetings or becoming a chairperson. I want to encourage our members to keep abreast of what is going on in the branch and in California. If you have any questions about legislation or the mission, please do not hesitate to call or email. If you want to get involved, but are worried about the time involved or what you would need to do, think about pairing up with someone else and taking turns to report to the members. Please get involved, especially in this election year. Thank you.

Book Groups for February

Book Groups Update By Sharon Anderson

Reminder there is a “books” page under “Activities” on our branch website (https://sacramento-ca.aauw.net/bookgroups/).  If you wish to see what others are reading, or get ideas for your book group or yourself, please find the books page and take a look.

Each book group has its own tab, by book group number.  (These book group numbers correlate with page 6 of the branch Membership Directory.)  On each list, the meeting days, times and coordinator are listed.  Feel free to call me if you have trouble locating it.

January Book Groups

Book Group 1:
The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown, on Feb. 8; coordinator is Joy Clous

Book Group 2:
Horse, by Geraldine Brooks, on Feb. 6; coordinator is Carol Hayes

Book Group 3: 
The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes, on Feb. 28; coordinator is Carolyn Meeker

Book Group 4: 
The Adventures of Herbie Cohen, by Rich Cohen on Feb. 14; coordinator is Pat Morehead

Book Group 6: 
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by Olga Tokarczuk on JaFeb. 19; coordinator is Susana Mullen

Book Group 8: 
Finding the Mother Tree, by Suzanne Simard, on Feb. 26; coordinator is Diana Squire

Book Group 10: 
Because Our Fathers Lied, by Craig McNamara, on Feb. 15; coordinator is Sandi Schoenman

Book Group 12: 
Fifty Words for Rain, by Asha Lemmie, on Feb. 1; coordinator is Linda Cook

Favorite Books from Book Group 4 in 2023

By ranking, most favorite first, followed by a one line description of the book:

  1. Horse, by Geraldine Brooks. A famous racehorse is re-discovered.
  2. Beautiful Country, by Julie Wang Quan. A Chinese family emigrates to the U.S.
  3. (tie) The Promise, by Damon Galgut. One family’s life on a farm in So. Africa.
    (tie) Night, by Elie Wiesel. The story of a man who survived the Holocaust.
  4. (tie) My Sister, the Serial Killer, by Oykinian Braithwaite. One good sister, one bad, in Nairobi.
    (tie) The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Michele Kim Richardson. Blue-skinned people of Kentucky.

Living Our Mission of Equity By Charmen Goehring

We hope you will join us in a monthly equity conversation where we look at our own biases, seek actions we can take to attract diversity to our branch and become better people in the process. Each month, we read a section of our selected book then meet to discuss what we have learned, along with exploring other issues related to race and equity. We meet the first Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom.

The Zoom meeting code is 737 420 3780 or you can join using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7374203780  We will discuss our current book, Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under The Color Of Law by Richard and Leah Rothstein, on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. We will discuss Part Three  (through page 167). If you have questions and to RSVP, please email Charmen at charminme@yahoo.com.

Scholarship Committee Update

Scholarship Committee Update By Cherril Peabody

Many of you heard most of our 2023-24 scholarship recipients speak at the branch holiday luncheon last month. Weren’t they inspiring? I have been involved with our scholarship program for many years, and I think it is one of the best things our branch does. This year I am proud to say we have 19 members on the Scholarship Committee as we embark on another recruitment season for 2024-25, and I am asking for your help as well.

Our 2024-25 application is now posted on the branch website: http://sacramento-ca.aauw.net/programs/scholarships or just Google AAUW Sacramento. After reading the qualifications requirements, if you know a woman who might be eligible to receive it, please contact her and let her know about this opportunity. This year we will give the same amount as last year: $3,000 to each recipient. The number of awards will depend on the quality of the applications we receive and the amount of funds that are available. This leads me to the second way you can help. Our funds have been somewhat depleted because we had five exceptionally worthy recipients this year. If you can, please contribute to our scholarship fund before our application deadline, March 31, so we will know as we make our decisions how much we have to give. I will really appreciate your help!