CITY LIFE
CONNELL SANDERS
Worcester women we’re watching in 2021 SARAH CONNELL SANDERS
O
ur society’s elevation of hegemonic masculinity became glaringly evident last week at the Capitol Hill riot. The heartbreaking news and frightening footage led me to look back at many of the remarkable local women I’ve interviewed over the last year, in search of hope. Here are some wise words and professional leads that bear repeating as we seek peace and justice in the new year.
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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
J A N U A RY 14 - 20, 2021
The 13-year-old dedicated to keeping Black dads safe Name: Madison Whalen Memorable Quote: “After the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, I was scared for my dad. All the stories I had been hearing made me nervous for him to even be out walking around. Me and my mom created this idea to hand out dash cams over the summer to help the community in the best way that A painting by Worcester artist Lord Smokey Bruja from her 2020 show on strength and survival, we could.” Contact: Maddie’s efforts are “Bee Like Honey.” SUBMIT TED PHOTO in collaboration with 508 Forever and the education system. It’s Young. You can inquire about for words. I’ll ask, ‘Do you feel Memorable Quote: “Pubdash cams by emailing info@ red today? Is what you’re feeling lishers go after whatever is going in different aspects of our daily lives. And, it’s time that we 508foreveryoung.com. making you feel purple?’” to make the headlines more realize and acknowledge the Contact: Dr. Forkey is the clickable and the stories easier The artist who reminded clinical director of the Foster to write. Women tend to kind of oppression and injustices that Black people face.” us that size is not indicative of shy away and run away because Children Evaluation Service and Contact Info: Follow Magpower chief of the Division of Child Prowe’ve been taught not to brag. gie’s progress on Instagram at @ tection for the UMass Memorial With this project, I’m asking magdelenebarj. Name: Lord Smokey Bruja Children’s Medical Center in women to brag about their Memorable Quote: “I want Worcester. Learn more about her friends.” The doctor who tackled everyone to know they are not work at https://www.umassmed. Contact Info: You can conchildhood trauma in a panalone ... It’s about being as small tact Claudia through her site, edu/faces/. demic as a bee, but making something Women Worc. Name: Heather C. Forkey, as beautiful as golden honey.” The running coach who MD Contact: LSB’s most recent helped girls find their inner The 21-year-old model Memorable Quote: “Use gallery show took place at The strength and activist who organized the three R’s: reassure safety, Bridge at 300 Southbridge Street. Worcester’ Amplify Black return to routine, and regulate. For more information about Name: Karen Spencer Voices rally Regulation asks us to identify future events, email savebridgeMemorable Quote: “Girls Name: Magdelene Barjolo emotions and address them. For on the Run teaches girls how pride@gmail.com. Memorable Quote: “Just kids, it can often mean giving to stand up for themselves and because Black men and women, The web developer who deal with their emotions in a and even children, are not killed them the words for what they’re feeling or teaching them how to built a database of tenacious healthy way … We organize on a daily basis in the streets of understand what the feeling is if small groups of 15 to 20 girls to women Worcester does not mean that they’re too young to learn words. meet after school, twice a week racism doesn’t exist here. It’s We sometimes substitute colors for 10 weeks. We have trained Name: Claudia Snell within the healthcare system
coaches who implement a social-emotional development curriculum that is basically focused on girls empowerment.” Contact: Learn more about out how the local chapter of GoTR has persevered through a global pandemic at https://www. gotr-worc.org/. The woman who made sure no student went hungry when Worcester Public Schools went virtual Name: Donna Lombardi Memorable Quote: “Through the national school breakfast and school lunch programs, we feed approximately 18,000 students every day. That number will expand as breakfast evolves into the classroom in additional schools.” Contact: Donna is the Child Nutrition Program Director for the Worcester Public Schools, tasked with overseeing all USDA and Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) funded child nutrition programs. Check out the most up to date grab-and-go and mobile meal delivery schedules on the Menus & Nutrition website. The woman who worked to create a critical mass of economic activity in Main South Name: Ivette Olmeda Memorable Quote: “I feel very proud to say, as a resident of Worcester for 30 years who has shopped in this neighborhood, the businesses are finally organized as the Main South Business Association. They meet on a monthly basis. The last milestone was to appoint an executive committee. One of the things they immediately began to do was engage with the neighborhood residents.” Contact: Ivette is a MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative Fellow. For more information about Worcester’s TDI districts, you can email her at iolmeda@massdevelopment.com.
