Womxn of Color Conference Keynote: UC Santa Barbara

Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs will give the closing Keynote on Sunday Feb 28th!

Mission Statement:

The 2016 Womxn of Color Conference at UCSB recognizes that as members of marginalized communities, our experiences and thus our identities intersect within multiple oppressions. We acknowledge that these intersections of our personal experiences function in the bigger picture of our lives — By performing acts such as reclaiming spaces; existing unapologetically; nourishing ourselves – mind, spirit, and body; and much more. We work towards empowerment for ourselves in a world that tries to shame or erase our existence. To reach our collective liberation, we must help each other rise up by acknowledging and fostering inclusive spaces within the different crossroads which we meet at in our lives. What radical tools do womxn of color need (or already possess) to achieve this dream? How do we navigate and come to comprehend our trauma in relation to our very existence? Why is it important to center our movements on love and re-incorporate joy into every aspect of our lives in order to counteract this dominant narrative of struggle? We hope to generate answers to these questions through a combination of individual reflection and the sharing of collective knowledge.

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” – Audre Lorde

We seek to create an enriching and safe space for womyn/womxn/women of color. We envision a transformative experience where womyn/womxn/women of color from diverse backgrounds can come together to engage in meaningful dialogue, cultivate greater social consciousness, and foster solidarity amongst one another.
______________

This will be a 2-day long conference consisting of workshops, speakers, performances, and panelists surrounding various topics for WOC that WOC can resonate with. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided the Saturday of the conference. A light brunch will be provided the Sunday of the conference. Folks have the opportunity to sign up to host a workshop of their own, to volunteer the day of the event, to perform the day of the event, to table/vend at our mini tabling fair, or to sign up just as an attending general member:

Conference General Registration:
http://goo.gl/forms/FhL7OoOnmr
* Note: Minors will be required to fill out a minor permission form in order to attend which will be e-mailed to you via the address you provide

OPEN TO EVERYONE: Allies, Community Members, All UC, Cal State Students, and Community College students, High School students, etc.
It is our intention to create an inclusive environment at our event so please respect the space. (Do not be shy to invite your friends from back home or other schools!)

* NOTE ON WORKSHOPS: A few workshops will be offered that call for engagement in physical activity and for these it is recommended to wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

******
While our commission is made up of different people who each use their own spelling of womyn/womxn/women, the spelling of “womyn” is used on this page as the rejection of womynhood being defined in relation to manhood and the patriarchal norm. We do not affiliate ourselves with the transphobic interpretations of this spelling, seeing as this should be a term of empowerment and inclusion. We would also like to recognize the use of “womxn” to honor many unspoken hxstories and particularly the erased and silenced hxstories of the land we are on. We welcome everyone and your definition of womyn/womxn/women to participate in this conference.

For any questions or concerns please reach us at womynofcolorucsb@gmail.com