September 2018 Edition

The Bella Bella Bulletin MONTH SeptemberYEAR 2018

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A Message from our NewTEXT We are proud to Bulletin Staff!

introduce our new co-editors-in-chief and content creators!

New Sections To Look Forward to Each Month!

Our new content creators will be providing exciting new sections on feminist art and literature!

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Money Advice for College BALI Students BALI Alumna and former intern Yingxue SUBTITLE Hu has shared a wonderful pamphlet with TEXT the Bulletin for our BALI girls in or soon to be in college.

PERSONAL FINANCE FOR SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND LIFE

Must-Know Tips and Tricks For College SuccessÂ

Add a little bit of body text

TEXT Make The Most Out of Your Money

FOLLOW US @ABZUGINSTITUTE

Table of Contents A letter from our editors………………..……….3 This Month in Women’s History…….…….……4 Headlines of the month…………….………….…5 Op-Ed of the month…………………………..……7 Activism through art.……….………….…..…....9 Happy birthday to…………….…………..…..…... .10 Feminist Five!.............................………........……11 Personal Finance pamphlet……………………..13 Enrichment Opportunities…….……….……....14 BALI Staff……………………………………………..16 BELLA BULLETIN STAFF ………………………….......17

Dear BALI Network, We would like to take the time to express how excited we are to begin this new chapter of the Bella Bulletin! We had the wonderful opportunity to work under our previous editor-in-chief, Giselle Rodriguez Benitez, who helped us grow as both writers and BALI leaders. We hope to continue representing our BALI girls and their community around them through the inspiration of Ms. Rodriguez Benitez. We are also so glad we had Adriana Rodriguez on our team; she played a vital role in the success of the Bella Bulletin by highlighting the work of prominent feminists both in and outside of the BALI network.

We are happy to inform you all that we have selected two fierce leaders from our community who have great experience with writing and will be our new Content Creators. Mayannah Beauvoir, an intern from the 2018 BALI Summer Intensive, will be contributing a variety of Op-Ed’s as well as a selection of book recommendations from authors who touch upon societal issues that our BALI girls are passionate about. And Sofia Baluyut, a trainee from the 2018 BALI Summer Intensive, will be contributing op-eds and covering a selection of activists who use art to voice their opinion on various societal issues.

We are also looking for input from our BALI Network! Whether it is artwork, literary pieces, Op-Ed’s, or advice on how to improve the newsletter, we are always open to new ideas. Be on the lookout for emails from us on how to you can contribute to the Bella Bulletin. Special thanks to Liz Abzug, Oriela Baliaj and Gabriela Valette and our BALI Board of Directors for their constant support. We hope you enjoy our inaugural issue of the Bella Bulletin and are looking forward to a great year!

Wilma Abam-DePass Co-editor-in-chief

Zoe Donovan Co-editor-in-chief

Women’s History of the month: September

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Headlines of the month Two Trump Associates Convicted of Financial Crimes in One Day

In recent weeks, American news outlets have been saturated with articles about the ​conviction of Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen​, Trump’s former campaign chairman and former lawyer, respectively, for financial crimes. Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime personal lawyer pleaded guilty to eight federal accounts, including campaign finance violations that were made in an attempt to quiet Stephanie Clifford (Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal about their extramarital affairs with Donald Trump with “hush money.” But not only did Cohen come clean about his own criminal acts, he also implicated Trump in the process by stating that the payments made to Clifford and McDougal were Trump’s orders. Cohen may also further implicate Trump in the future with his supposed knowledge “​a conspiracy to corrupt American democracy by the Russians, and the failure to report that knowledge to the FBI” according to his lawyer Lanny Davis. While Trump as ostracized Michael Cohen for pleading guilty, the president has loyally defended his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has been charged with eight counts of bank fraud, tax fraud, and failure to report a foreign bank account. His conviction is a result of Robert Mueller’s investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Both Cohen and Manafort have yet to be sentenced.

Diane Rwigara and Mother, Adeline Rwigara Imprisoned After Diane Announces her Election Bid for President of Rwanda

In August of 2017, Diane Rwigara was becoming a voice for the underrepresented, young people of Rwanda; daring to hold President Paul Kagame’s government accountable for corruption, censorship, and poverty. Shortly after her campaign was announced, however, she was disqualified from the race for allegedly lying about the number of signatures she collected to run for president.

Rwigara and her mother were then arrested on accounts of fraud, incitement, and “discrimination and sectarian practices” quickly following the creation of the former candidate’s campaign and response to her disqualification: the “People Salvation Movement.” According to her family and her supporters, who have also faced severe consequences for being connected to Rwigara, her disqualification and arrest were politically motivated. Rwigara’s arrest comes as no surprise to many, however, because she is one of many opposers of President Kagame to be “eliminated” in some respect. Kagame’s political party has dominated Rwanda since 2000, and he is credited with helping the country recover from its ​mass genocide in 1994 and stabilizing the economy. Rwanda’s government, under Kagame’s rule, also leads the rest of the5 world in political representation for women,

of it’s parliament being female. But throughout Kagame’s presidency, several prominent journalists, businessmen, and politicians that were apparent threats to his power have disappeared, been arrested, or killed, including Rwigara’s father in 2015. Diane and Adeline Rwigara will be tried on September 24, and Diane faces up to 20 years in prison.

Sexual Harassment Case at NYU Complicates Discussions Within the #MeToo Movement

The case came to the public eye as the result of a leaked draft of a letter in June, signed by 51 well-known academics, defending a colleague against sexual harassment accusations. That colleague was Avital Ronell, a sixty-six year-old feminist scholar, professor at New York University, and now accused perpetrator of sexual harassment by her former advisee, thirty-three year-old former graduate student Nimrod Reitman. The harassment supposedly began back in 2012, when Ronell invited Reitman to stay with her in Paris, where she allegedly sexually harassed him and exchanged emails with him in which she called him several romantic pet names. This behavior continued for three years, and Reitman claims that whenever he complained to his academic advisor Ronell about the harassment, she would threaten his career and refuse to work with him. In 2017, two years after graduating from NYU, Reitman filed a Title IX lawsuit against Ronell, accusing her of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and

stalking. Eleven months later, the university’s confidential investigation charged her with sexual harassment and suspended her from the current academic year. Reitman and his lawyer have now drafted lawsuits against NYU and Ronell. While this case is undoubtedly similar to many that have come to the public’s attention as a result of the #MeToo movement, the fact that the accused is a woman, and the accuser is a man has sparked many important conversations that will have long term influences on how we think about sexual assault and harassment.

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Op-ed of the month: Two dope queens

Black Women and Podcasting The use of podcasts has become a buzzing contemporary medium for entertainment, conversation and information. Every day, listeners tune into podcasts through a number of available streaming services. The podcast evolved from radio as a way for listeners to gain information at their own convenience and has evolved to contain cultural commentaries, critiques of music and pop culture, comedy shows, guided meditations, political conversations and so much more. A particularly interesting space has opened for Black women in this new era of reaching people of with shared interest in discourse.

Black women have begun to lead their own podcasts to control and narrate their own stories and experiences. Such shows constitute a reclaiming of Black women’s autonomy while simultaneously providing a new age, communal space for the sharing of ideas and the empowerment of the oppressed. For marginalized identities who may not have access to support groups or large gatherings to share their stories, the podcast has become a way to have a long distance conversation. When listening to these podcasts, Black women engage in a communal discussion and reflection on their shared hardships and achievements with the multitude of podcasts available at their fingertips.

Two Dope Queens is a comedically themed podcast that privies the voices of marginalized identities and their stories. Two Dope Queens was created in 2016 by comedian, Phoebe Robinson and actress, Jessica Williams. Both Robinson and Williams had their own creative careers before coming together for this podcast.

What had initially started out as an experiment, became a critically acclaimed show that has reached # 1 on itunes and garnered a four episode HBO special. The show emerged as a personal experiment between the two hosts that eventually became Two Dope Queens. They described the experience to the New York Times: Jessica: “Well, I’ve always wanted to try stand-up.” She invited me to co-host her live show, and we just had a ton of fun. We were like, “Whoa.”

Phoebe:​ ​It was like a great first date. I changed my status to “It’s complicated.”

In each episode, Jessica and Phoebe generate commentary on other comedians, actors, films with hilarious banter. Listening to them go back and forth, it seems like they often forget that there is an audience, getting lost in their jokes, put downs and empowering words. They truly lose themselves in conversation1, making it simple for the listener to feel included. They frequently bring satire to their “ancestors”, adding light to such a dark subject. For example, ​In the teaser trailer for their HBO special, one can get a hint of the shenanigans that go on during the podcast. Phoebe and Jessica are seated in elegant chairs as the dialogue begins: Phoebe: What an amazing idea to have your own special on HBO. Jessica: This is what our ancestors fought for.

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Zinoman, Jason “In ‘2 Dope Queens’ a Duo Muses Over Life, and Stanley Tucci.”

Phoebe: Harriet Tubman.

Jessica: This is for you Sojourner!

The show offers comedic relief to Black women’s experiences. For example, they often call the occurrence of someone attempting to touch a Black woman’s hair, “Black on Black crime”. Much of the buzz over Two Dope Queens comes from its vocalization of the experiences of Black women but also many other marginalized identities. Many of the comedians on the show are political satirists or cultural comics. Comics that have been featured are Tig Notaro, Michelle Buteau, Aparna Nancherla and others. There is a clear commitment to the diversity of the comedians they book. 2 Comedic guests have come from every racial background and sexual identity. The remarkable acclaim for its diversity of features comes full circle to bell hooks. She states in Sisters of the Yam ,

“In a revolutionary manner, black women have utilized mass media (writing, film, video, art etc.) to offer radical different images of ourselves. These actions have been an intervention….Moving ourselves from manipulative objects to self empowered subjects, black women have by necessity threatened the status quo.”

Jessica and Phoebe do just that with their podcasts. It is very rare to see two Black female comedians hosting a show, let alone a lineup of Black, Asian, gay, and queer persons as well. They have challenged the image of mainstream comedy by integrating multiple voces and forcing them to be heard. When considering comedy and conversation as a creative outlet, it is helpful to consider Mwalimu Imara’s words in his essay, “Dying as the Last Stage of Growth” in which he states,

“We seldom think of conversations as commitment, but it is. I find that expressing what I really feel and telling another person what is actually important to me at the moment is difficult...Creative communication in depth is what allows us to experience a sense of belonging to others. It is the force that limits the destructive potential in our lives and what promotes growth aspects.”3

This “growth” that Imara speaks of comes from naming microaggressions, suffering and oppression.

Comedy, is just one form of healing that occurs out of testimony. According to hooks, “Healing occurs through testimony, through gathering together everything available to you and reconciling.” Two Dope Queens is a perfect example of the collective space of discussion transforming into healing simply by being heard and hearing shared experience.

Finally, Two Dope Queens privileges the voices of so many kinds of Black women. By introducing lesbian women, queer women, and trans women to the conversation, there is an integrative approach that is extremely welcoming. Borrowing Audre Lorde’s practices, making a point of out publicly self identifying a sexual, social and political location can be immensely powerful to a group of people.4

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ZInoman, Jason Imara, Mwalimu, “Dying as the Last Stage of Growth” 4 Byrde, Robert, "Introduction. Create Your Own Fire: Audre Lorde and the Tradition of Black Radical Thought."

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Activism through art “Crazy Rich Asians”: A Landmark for Representation in Hollywood Crazy Rich Asians was released on August 15, 2018, and racked up $26.5 million on its opening weekend. The film, which is based on the book of the same name, was entirely acted and directed by Asian-Americans. ​CRA tells the story of Rachel, an economics professor, who goes to meet her boyfriend’s family in Singapore.

After discovering that his family is crazy rich, tales of opulence, family drama, romance, and identity ensue.

As the first Hollywood studio movie in twenty-five years to center Asian-Americans, ​CRA has been lauded for its representation in terms of race. It explores differences between Asians and Asian-Americans that are not often found in mainstream American narratives, and allows Asian actors play beyond stereotypes. In a time when immigrants are under attack, the film also centers the story of an Asian-American immigrant.

Lead actress Constance Wu pointed out the importance and dignity found in portraying such a story: “Immigrant stories are the stories of dreams, of love, of sacrifice, of courage, of honor. They are truly what make America great.”

In looking at the film through a lense of intersectional feminism, then, its representation of an Asian story is important. But the film also addresses gender issues by empowering and developing its women characters. ​CRA is essentially about women holding up families through matriarchal positions, navigating their relationships and cultural identities, and reclaiming power in their lives.

While none of the characters explicitly identify as feminists, actress Gemma Chan sees feminism as being a part of her character’s development. In an article

for the Harvard Crimson, Chan said, “​What I love about the film is that by the end, [my character, Astrid ] kind of rediscovers her power and asserts herself [....] I think there’s no one way to be a feminist. I think ‘feminist’ just means that you believe in equal rights for men and women and you could embody that in so many different ways. So yeah, I would say that Astrid’s a feminist too.”

In an LA Times interview, director John M. Chu also acknowledged the intersection of racial and gender representation in ​CRA​: “​I want [my daughter] to live in a world where she’s seeing Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh and Lisa Lu be these strong independent people that don’t need a man in their life to be fulfilled, and that love themselves and know that they’re worth every inch of their existence, and can be anything and do whatever they want.​” The movie has faced some criticism, however. Some argue that ​CRA’s portrayals of extreme wealth are not paired with critiques of harmful capitalist ideals. As a rare movie that stars many Asians, it has been tasked with representing ​all Asians, which many say it has failed to do. It also does not take a full look at Singaporean social hierarchies and issues.

In a Washington Post article, Kevin Kwan, the author of the novel, addressed some of these criticisms, admitting that the film only offered a very limited view of Asian identity. However, he said, he hopes to be the start of a movement rather than the sole piece of art representing an entire identity: “​If we are part of that icebreaker that breaks through the iceberg in front of us and allows so many other stories to come through and so much more talent to be showcased, I would feel extraordinarily privileged to be part of that.”

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Hunger is a memoir written by Roxane Gay. It was published on June 13th, 2017 and it is 320 pages long. Hunger is a personal account of Roxane Gay’s life, largely consumed by her weight. She addresses her experience of living in a body without control of her size, and lacking the discipline that society encourages women to have over their bodies. She goes through encounters with her body from a childhood shaken by sexual assault, her 20s, which she calls her “lost years”, and becoming an established writer. We follow her as the trauma she was subjected to at 12 years old, follows her relationship with her body until adulthood. She ate to cope with her sorrow and to protect herself from being hurt. She believed that if she shrouded herself with weight, perhaps she would be so intolerable that she would ultimately be free of male dominion over her body. Hunger is the story of being overweight when “the bigger you are, the smaller your world becomes.”Her story is deeply personal, making a political statement about expectations of womanhood and gender, sexuality, trauma and hope. We learn how her body has “informed” her feminism and taught her about the greater machines of society demonizing fat bodies and that work so hard to produce unrealistic standards that we hunger for.

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Roxane Gay was born in October of 1974 to Haitian immigrants in Omaha, Nebraska. She was sexually assaulted at the age of twelve which contributed to a subsequent overeating disorder. These habits were formed as a way to manage her pain and trauma as well as regain control of her body. She went away to boarding school shortly after the incident, in addition to weight loss camps nearly every summer. As she approached her teenage years, she began to write as an outlet for her frustration and healing. She often made fictional, female characters who were traumatized or taken advantage of.

Currently, Gay is championed as a feminist author, professor, editor, commentator and activist. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Bad Feminist . She writes fictional short stories, autobiography and socio/political commentaries. She is a former writer of World of Wakanda , and was one of the first Black women to be a lead writer for Marvel. She is also a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, the co­founder of PANK magazine, editor of The Rumpus and publisher of Tiny Hardcore Press . She works as an associate professor of English at Purdue University and she is openly bi­sexual.

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A Guide to financing For college bound students by bali alumna: Yingxue HU

PERSONAL FINANCE FOR SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND LIFE

Must-Know Tips and Tricks For College SuccessÂ

Add a little bit of body text

Make The Most Out of Your Money

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For more information click this link

Looking for Enrichment Opportunities?

Black Girls Code offers programming and events in coding for African American girls.

Brotherhood/Sister Sol offers afterschool and summer programming in relationshipbuilding, self/global awareness, social justice, leadership development, and more. Some of their programs are gender-specific.

ChickTech offers programming and mentorship in STEM for high school girls.

Curious Jane offers classes and summer programming in science, theatre, arts and crafts, and more for girls.

Digital Girl, Inc. works at high schools to provide programming in STEM and offers tech workshops for the community.

Girl Be Heard works in high schools to teach girls about gender, race, and class through theatre, and offers workshops and performances.

Girl Vow offers education, mentorship, advocacy, and life skills training for girls.

Girls for Gender Equity offers programming in community advocacy, leadership, and social justice for girls.

Girls Inc. offers programming in statistical analysis, economic literacy, leadership and community action, STEM, media literacy, athletics, sexual health education, substance abuse prevention, self-defense, and more for girls ages 6-18.

Girls Leadership offers Parent & Daughter workshops, parent education, and summer day camps for girls entering grades 4 and 5.

Girls on the Run offers a physical activity based youth development program for girls in grades 3-8.

Girls Who Code offers afterschool and summer programming in coding for middle and high school girls.

Girls Write Now offers mentoring programs in writing, digital media, and college preparation for girls.

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Click on programs names For More Info!

GOALS for Girls offers year-round programming, a summer intensive, weekend forums, and internships in STEM for middle and high school girls.

LOVE Mentoring works at high schools to deliver small-group mentoring for young Latinas.

Life is Precious offers individual and group counseling, arts therapy, academic support, and nutritional and fitness activities to prevent suicide among young Latinas.

Lower Eastside Girls Club provides programming in STEM, business, art, leadership, and advocacy, as well as mentoring for girls in grades 6-12.

NYC GREAT! offers programming and mentoring in college and career readiness for high school girls.

NYU GSTEM is a six-week summer program for high school girls during the summer between their junior and senior years who have high aptitude in STEM subjects.

Powerplay NYC works in elementary, middle, and high schools to offer afterschool programming in physical activity and healthy living.

Sadie Nash Leadership Project provides afterschool and summer programming in leadership and social justice for girls ages 14-22.

Soul Sisters Leadership Collective works in schools to offer workshops to explore issues faced by young women of color.

Vibe Theatre Experience offers theatre and media programming for girls ages 13-19.

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls offers afterschool and summer music programing for girls.

YWCA provides programming in leadership and advocacy, STEAM, career and college exploration, and more for girls.

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BALI Staff

Liz Abzug

Oriela Baliaj

Gabriela Valette

Founder & Executive Director

Senior Program Associate

Program Coordinator

BALI Board of Directors Liz J. Abzug, Founder/Executive Director Erica Forman, Board-Chair Meg Holzer, Secretary Cynthia McKnight, Treasurer Erica Forman, Chair Eija Ayravainen Gloria Steinem Joanne Davila Maya Catherine Popa Maya C. Popa

Claire Reed Harold Holzer Jonathan Greenberg Judy Lerner Liz Cooper

Betsy Scheinbart-Norton Jerry Goldfeder A.J. Lederman Kylie Reiffert Kai Gilchrist 16

The Bella Bulletin Staff Wilma Abam-DePass Co-Editor-in-Chief School: Croton Harmon High School Grade: 12th BALI Class of 2017 Email: wilma@depass.com

Zoe Donovan Co-Editor-in-Chief School: Bard High School Early College Queens Grade: 12th BALI Class of 2017 Email: zoezoedonovan@gmail.com

Sofia Baluyut Content Creator School: Bard High School Early College Queens Grade: 12th BALI Class of 2018

Mayannah Beauvoir Content Creator School: Temple University Majors: Africana Studies/English/Gender/Sexuality Minor: Women’s Studies Intern for BALI Class of 2018 17

for inquiries and suggestions, email wilma@depass.com or zoezoedonovan@gmail.com

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