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Dear John,
It has been another full month.
At the Ms. Foundation, we will round out April by celebrating Earth Day (today) and Take Your Daughter to Work Day (tomorrow). We believe that feminism comprises the many movements that impact gender and racial justice today, moving us closer to safety, health, and economic opportunity for all women, girls and nonbnary people.
This week it has been difficult to focus on much beyond the repeated, harrowing examples of state sanctioned violence against Black and brown people, often very young people. The verdict in Minneapolis yesterday gave many a reason to hope. Others are trying to remain hopeful in the face of the continuing violence and the distance to go before we achieve full dignity, equity and justice. The Ms. Foundation has signed on to a statement of solidarity with the Women’s Funding Network and the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota calling for philanthropy to support community-led groups that demand liberation from state violence for all.
We remain steadfast until there is safety and opportunity for all of us.
On March 31, the Ms. Foundation joined more than 465 feminist leaders in signing an open letter for Transgender Day of Awareness intended to raise awareness about ongoing anti-transgender violence, legislation, misinformation and rhetoric targeting trans women and girls. This historic effort was organized by former Ms. staffer Raquel Willis and GLADD. We were happy to see the letter continuing to get strong traction with the media as we headed into this month. On April 14, we hosted a briefing on Pocket Change: How Women of Color Do More With Less. The report -- full of extremely timely data -- continues to be referenced by our partners in philanthropy and in many other settings.
Upcoming Events:
RSVP today for the 33rd Gloria Awards on Thursday, May 20, 8 pm ET. Our theme is JOY UNMUTED! Joy is how we demonstrate our delight. Joy is also a form of resilience and resistance. Let’s generate some radical joy together while we enjoy jubilant music, inspirational messages and powerful moments of connection. We’ll salute visionary honorees and raise critical funds to support a promising future for women and girls. Stay tuned for more information!
Beginning on April 28th, we have partnered with WNET, America’s flagship PBS station, to present a five-part series: New American Dream: Townhalls on Disrupting Systemic Racism. The series centers the leadership and experience of women of color. Please mark your calendars!
In solidarity,
 
Ruth McFarlane
Vice President of Advancement
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