Upcoming Activities

Racial Justice Film Series: The Right to Read

Friday, March 29, 7 p.m.
Eliot Unitarian Chapel
100 S. Taylor Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63122
Please let us know you’re coming here.

Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and Eliot Unitarian Chapel present The Right to Read, directed by Jenny Mackenzie. The Right to Read shares stories of an activist, a teacher and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. American reading levels, especially among African American and Latinx students, have been far below grade-level for decades. When a child doesn’t learn to read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and high school dropout increase. This powerful film tackles this fundamental social justice issue and seeks to answer the question: Why are children not learning to read once they get to school and what can we do to address this profound social problem? This film shows how by using proven science-based, data-driven approaches, we can solve the problem of low literacy rates together.

The film will be followed by a discussion about the literacy landscape of St. Louis and a Q&A with Lisa Greening, founder of  Turn the Page STL, the St. Louis chapter of the National Campaign for Grade Level Reading developed to improve third grade reading proficiency. In 2022, Turn the Page STL won the Pacesetter Community Award from the National Campaign for its collective impact work in the St. Louis community.

Lisa Greening previously spent ten years as executive director of Ready Readers, a St. Louis nonprofit dedicated to preparing preschool-age children from low-income communities to become readers. She has received several honors for her work in literacy including recognition by the State of Missouri for her dedication to improving the lives of Missouri children.

Please join us for this important film to learn how activism and determination can ensure every child is given the right to read.

Lunch & Learn: The Power of the People-Understanding the Initiative Petition Process in Missouri’s Democracy

Friday, April 5, noon
Webster Hills United Methodist Church
Christian Life Center
1333 W. Lockwood Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63122
Please let us know you’re coming here.

Join Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice and the Ashrei Foundation for a deep dive into the initiative petition process, a fundamental constitutionally protected tool of Missouri’s democracy. M’Evie Mead will explore the history of initiative petitions in our state and review current challenges in the Missouri legislature this session that would reshape this important citizen-driven tool.

Speaker:

M’Evie Mead, she/her, director of strategic partnerships at Missouri Jobs with Justice and facilitator of the Will of the People Coalition

M’Evie Mead has over 25 years leading progressive power building work in Missouri and nationally. Mead came from Washington DC to Missouri to serve as executive director of Missouri NARAL (now Abortion Action Missouri) and went on to build the organizing, power building and policy programs for Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri (now absorbed in Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest MO). From 2013-15, Mead worked with colleagues from across the country to co-create a national organizing model for Planned Parenthood called the Path to Power. Thousands of Planned Parenthood organizers and volunteers have been trained through the Path to Power University. Mead served as interim executive director for LeadMO and LeadMO Action. Mead helped LeadMO/Action successfully hire a new permanent executive director and worked with an amazing staff and board team to execute strategic priorities during the transition. In her current position as director of strategic partnerships with Missouri Jobs With Justice, Mead is building out the coalition to support Missourians for Healthy Families & Fair Wages campaign and staffs the Will of The People Coalition defending Missouri’s 100+ year tradition of direct democracy through the initiative petition process.

Mead has served in leadership positions on the boards of the Missouri Organizing and Voter Engagement Collaborative (MOVE Action), Progress MO, Women’s Political Caucus and Planned Parenthood’s State Public Affairs Network. Mead is the mother of 2, lives in St. Louis, and spends as much time as possible hiking and playing in the rivers of Missouri’s Ozarks.

Lunch & Learn: Challenges for American Higher Education

Wednesday, April 17, noon
Virtual event
Please let us know you’re coming here.

Professor Wrighton will join us to discuss current challenges for American higher education. These challenges include campus unrest stemming from political issues, different views about the war in Israel, aspirations related to establishing diverse, inclusive and equitable communities, and financial shortfalls. These challenges are evident at both public and private institutions. The erosion of public confidence in America’s higher education has exacerbated the problems within academic institutions.

Mark S. Wrighton is James and Mary Wertsch Distinguished University Professor and chancellor emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis. He served as chancellor at the university from 1995 until 2019 and resumed a position on the faculty. From 1972 until 1995 he was on the faculty in chemistry at MIT, and for the last five of his years there he was provost. While on sabbatical from Washington University he served as the president of the George Washington University from January 1, 2022 until June 30, 2023.

Lunch & Learn: Why Medicaid Matters

Thursday, April 25, noon
Virtual event
Please let us know you’re coming here.

Medicaid is a “political hot potato” topic, with many legislators offering positive or negative opinions and expressing strong feelings about the costs of the program. But to people with disabilities, Medicaid is an essential life insurance program that saves lives. Medicaid is there following a life changing accident. Medicaid allows people with disabilities to access the doctors, medicines, and therapies they need in many cases. 

Paraquad Medicaid ambassadors Everlene Falconer and Constance Phillips-Gray will share their experiences with Medicaid. Jeanette Mott Oxford will offer a brief update on several Medicaid issues presently under consideration in the Missouri General Assembly. 

Paraquad, serving primarily St. Louis City and County, is one of Missouri’s 22 independent living centers providing five core services to people with disabilities: information and referral, peer support, independent living skills training, transitions, and advocacy.

Speakers:

Everlene Falconer has worked at Paraquad since 2018. She is an employee advocate, job coach, and teacher. Currently a Continuing Education Program coordinator, Falconer graduated from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis in December of 2018 with a BA in educational science.  Falconer   is the proud mother of three children and five grandchildren. She loves to paint and listens to music all day because she says it is calming to the soul.

Constance Phillips-Gray was born and grew up in St. Louis. She is a life insurance agent, a Mary Kay representative, and operates a family-run cleaning and logistics company. Her children are her greatest source of pride and joy. Phillips-Gray has self-published four books on Amazon as well as contributing six anthologies. She earned an associates degree and a certificate in business management from Columbia College. She regularly donates blood and offers her time to nonprofit organizations.

Jeanette Mott Oxford has been an advocate and organizer on human rights issues since 1983. Presently public policy and advocacy manager at Paraquad, the independent living center for the St. Louis region, Oxford has also been executive director of two statewide nonprofits focused on social and economic justice. Oxford was state representative for a St. Louis City district from 2005-12 and graduated with a BA from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and with an MDiv from Eden Theological Seminary.

Welcome Neighbor Supper Club

Wednesday, May 1, 6 p.m.
Webster Hills United Methodist Church
Christian Life Center
1333 W. Lockwood Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63122

Purchase tickets here (coming soon)!

Women’s Voices Committee Meetings

If you’re interested in attending a committee meeting, please contact the committee chair for details.

Tues., March 26, 1:30 p.m., Campaign for Common Sense Gun Solutions Committee Meeting (Webster Hills United Methodist Church)

Tues., Apr. 16, 1 p.m., Attainable Housing Task Force Meeting (virtual meeting)

Mon., Apr. 22, 1 p.m., Advocacy Committee Meeting (virtual meeting)

Fri., Apr. 26, noon, Racial Justice Committee Meeting (virtual meeting)

Weds., May 1, noon, Criminal Legal System Reform Task Force Meeting (virtual meeting)

Weds., May 1, 6 p.m., Welcome Neighbor Supper – SAVE THE DATE!