The 2020 rebellion has grown into a massive movement for reproductive freedom, people’s basic needs, and the survival of the earth. Join us to discuss the next steps in the battle to defend and expand democracy during the 2022 elections.

Meet the Featured Speakers:  – Play Video Click Here

Rija Nazir is an organizer with Loud Light and lead organizer of the Vote Neigh campaign that was instrumental in promoting youth voter turnout and defeating the Kansas anti-abortion measure on August 2. She is a senior at Wichita State University studying political science with a minor in Spanish. Read her recent Op-Ed in the Kansas Reflector here.https://lawrencekstimes.com/2022/08/09/nazir-gen-z-oped/.

Valerie Jean Blakely is a photojournalist from Detroit, Michigan who will address the

relationship between the overturning of Roe v Wade, Michigan’s ongoing crises of evictions and water shutoffs, and the upcoming November elections. She is Assistant Editor/ Media Manager for Riverwise Magazine  https://riverwisedetroit.org/ and an organizer with People’s Water Board Coalition.

https://www.peopleswaterboard.org/.

Nicole Hill is a mother of seven and has worked with the Michigan Welfare

Rights Organization and People’s Water Board Coalition since 2013 on issues surrounding poverty Justice and all issues of water insecurity, poverty, and justice. She stood up as a voice of the directly impacted, learned activism, and become a full-fledged advocate for myself and others. She recently created an LLC called Purple Diamond Collective to insist on inclusion of the directly impacted community (particularly BIPOC) at every table, and to build youth movements to carry on the work on into the future. Her life motto is, “Leave this World Better When You Leave than it was When You Got Here”.

Melinda Lavon is a mother, midwife, and community organizer based in Lawrence Kansas. She currently serves as Membership Chair of Lawrence Democratic Socialists of America, and is on the General and 2nd Congressional District Committees for the Kansas Democratic Party. Melinda was the Chair of Vote No Kansas, a political action committee full of organizers from DSA and Sunrise, and worked with a broad coalition of groups around the state. This next election cycle Melinda is serving as the Chair of the Progressive Caucus for KDP and as the Chair of Vote Kansas PAC. 

Culture Performance by Michelle Saltouros

Michelle Saltouros Michelle Saltouros is a first-generation Greek-American revolutionary slam poet from the Chicago area. When she is not performing, protesting or organizing, she is working on her baking and engineering careers. She is currently the artistic director of nonprofit creating safe spaces for teens to work on their arts. Her slam poetry focuses on breaking social structures and psychological barriers in search of understanding, meaning and a path to change.

Suggested Reading:

WE DEMAND A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM IN 2022

LRNA FLYER sept 10th event 1a

CoolRae

Button Pusher

See Full Bio