Bronx Co-Founder & Brain-Trust member ( 2010-present)
Brooklyn Co-founder, Treasurer & Brain-trust member (2010-present)
2010 Originator: Co-founder & Director (2010-present)
Brooklyn Co-Founder, Secretary & Brain-trust member (2010-present)
Queens Co-Founding Brain-Trust member (2010-present)
Brooklyn Brain-Trust Member (2020-present)
Describe your image.
WELCOME
Meet The MANY Women
Led by a brain-trust of six Black women, our human rights-based, grassroots group is comprised of NYC women from a variety of backgrounds.
But here's the surprise: not all of us are mothers.
Indeed most of us are, but many of us aren't. As former Mayor David Dinkins used to say about NYC, we are a glorious mosaic of nurturers. Some of us are career teachers, PhD's, and artists. Some are continuing ed students, City workers, Etsy crafters, administrative assistants, managers, promising writers, and more. Some of us are unemployed, looking for work, starting a home-based business and/or caring for a sick or elderly family member. A number of us are married moms, but mostly, more of us are single with children. Some of us are even grandmamas, God-mommies, aunties, sisters, and several are who we lovingly call: "community-other" mothers.
As categorically different as we may be, all of us are someone's daughter, raised to honor our cultural backgrounds. At this most critical time, every convo we have goes deep into our feelings about the pandemic, what's going on with us and our kids, Covid safety in schools, and the traumatic loss of life that has touched us in the last two years. (RIP friend & MANY member, Pearl "Roxy" Johnson).
We're talking about food expenses, safety on the subways, and the guns that find their way into the hands of young people we shouldn't be afraid of... but are. Our candid conversations in the sister and inter-racial, virtual space we've created lets us continue our dozen years of Advocacy and Interpersonal Support Networking to elevate the moral authority of mothering and womanhood.
We call ourselves THE MANY, because we are.
We are a caring, multi-faceted, highly capable membership and advocacy group of women who all want to live in a safe and just society... where women are respected and valued, where care and concern for humanity are upheld, and where we, and our children and families, can do more than survive in NYC... we can thrive.
• Parent Advocacy, Support & Networking
• Brave Hearts Activism
• EDISAWI (Participatory Action Research)
• Village Talks
• Events: Film Screenings & Discussions
• Empowered Reading Book Club,
• Kindness Crafting & more!
Women's rights are human rights.
Unite in the fight. Join Us.
2 of our Co-founders & former Brain-Trust members: Jamillah Salahuddin with Dr. Carmen Applewhite. Both are NYC Special Ed Teachers. Jamillah retired, Carmen speaks on WBAI's Imhotep Gary Byrd's Radio Program as his Education Consultant most Sundays.
Photo Credit: (L) B. Rivera, (R) The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang
Benefits of Membership
-
A caring sister-circle of wise, inter-generational women activists of all faiths & backgrounds
-
Advocacy: voluntary one-to-one and group support in problem-solving issues affecting kids and work
-
Help from alumni-parent leaders and member educators for navigating the many layers of bureaucracy in our public school system and in some instances, helping to access city and legal services
-
Interpersonal Support Networking & Women's Leadership Development
-
Opportunities for personal growth and shared learning through Village Talks and collaborations with other local and national activist groups
-
Informative discussions with guest presenters on topics affecting our lives
-
Safe space for sharing difficult topics concerning the victimization and harassment of women, mothers and children
-
Knowledge on the fundamental rights of all human beings so that we are continually dialoguing about rights, respect and accountability in our individual communities, familiar, social and political circles.
Led by Black women, there's power in our knowledge and life-affirming wisdom in our sisterhood.
Become a member today!
Introducing some of our MANY Members & Influencers:
A globally esteemed educator, higher education administrator, professor of Urban Education, Joyce King is a specialist in educating students and teachers of African ancestry for academic & cultural excellence. She is also a much in-demand lecturer and author of numerous books, reports and research documents. Joyce is our special advisor-mentor, a valued friend and member since 2019 of The MANY.
Ellen is a certified Yoga instructor, Thai Yoga Massage practitioner, and Level 1 Reiki practitioner. She holds a doctorate in public health (emphasis in public health nutrition and epidemiology). Ellen is a long-time sister-friend of ours, and as trong supporter of The MANY's mission with Moms and WOC.
Dr. Venus E. Evans-Winters is a former Professor of Education at Illinois State Univ. in the College of Ed. with faculty affiliation in Women & Gender Studies, African American Studies, and Ethnic Studies. Dr. V researches and teaches social and cultural foundations of education, Black feminist thought, critical race theory, educational policy, and qualitative inquiry. She's also a Clinical Trauma Specialist. We lift her high up in our esteem & proudly call her a friend and mentor to The MANY.
Founder & Executive Director, Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), Joanne is a long time sister-friend of The MANY. A vitally important womanist-activist-leader, she is the recipient of too many awards to mention here. Joanne is also a Human Rights & Community Fellow and we're so proud of her for creating the very best young women's and girls' organization in America!
Trained as a lawyer, Rosemari is a political activist, artist, professor and author. Her most recent book is "Activism and Disciplinary Suspensions/Expulsions at Historically Black Colleges & Universities, HBCUS: A Phenomenological Study of the Black Student Sit-In Movement, 1960-1962." Of her many awards, she also is the recipient of the Friendship Award by the Cuban Council of State. A liberation feminist & former Black Panther, she's a strong role model & wise sister friend of The MANY.
Sister Dr. Kelli embraces her title of "Servant Leader" with joy. She is a radical and masterful educator in social justice and African Centered teaching and learning. The MANY has been blessed with her warmth, support and generous knowledge via teaching us a lot about African Centered Education and the current evolution of today's Freedom Schools. Her book: "Philadelphia Freedom Schools" is now available & we're excited to share it here.
The Civil Society Task Force of the U.N. selected 9 people to present & give recommendations for the UN General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problems. Dr. Iva Carruthers represented the faith community and was the only U.S. citizen who presented. She is a Faith Leader, Human Rights mentor, lecturer, community & education activist and also General Secretary of Chicago-based, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference. We are very proud to call her our dear friend.
Our sister-friend is a transnational feminist & co-founder, E.D. of Black Women’s Blueprint working to end sexual violence against women & girls in Black communities, and with HBCUs in the nation on issues of gender, race, sexuality, anti-violence policy and practice. Farah launched & Chairs the 1st Truth & Reconciliation Commission in the U.S. to focus on Black women and experiences with sexual assault. She founded the Museum of Women’s Resistance, & BWBP is our fiscal sponsor.
Education leader and retired school teacher, Debra Watkins is a friend who has founded several award-winning organizations and created superior Black education programming for California's Black children and has now taken her model of educational excellence national. Check out the California Alliance of African American Educators, Dr. Frank S. Greene Scholars Program, and ABEN, A Black Education Network online.
Pictured with the renowned Dr. Angela Davis, this was the second time The Many's co-founders met her in person in NYC. She is an author, inspiring human and civil rights activist, feminist and distinguished educator. We have learned much from her life's work and example of activism. Lastly, we applaud her co-founding of "Critical Resistance," an organization working to abolish the prison-industrial complex.
An internationally renowned researcher, educator, presenter and author of "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome," Dr. Joy has inspired our thinking greatly through her books and lectures. Check her out on YouTube! She is shown here having breakfast in Chicago with The MANY's co-founders (treasurer) Charmaine Phillip, and Benita Rivera (the picture taker).
In Memoriam: Author, human & civil rights activist, philosopher and feminist from Detroit, Grace Lee Boggs passed away a few years ago. Her work was amazing! This photo depicts one of several joyous introductions The MANY's co-founders had with her, both in Detroit and NYC. The award-winning documentary about her life is a must see!
In Memoriam: Yolanda Sanchez was an Afro-Boricua feminist, cultural educator, social worker, political & community activist in El Barrio. She helped launch The MANY in 2010 (our first fiscal sponsor thru the Nat'l Latinas Caucus), one of many non-profits she founded. May she rest in peace knowing our gratitude for her life's work: fighting racism, sexism & gentrification in Black/Latino communities-- while supporting human rights for all NYC women, children and families.
NYC street re-named to honor our brain-trust's mentor and the director's beloved friend; the late, Yolanda Sanchez in El Barrio, Manhattan, NYC.
... and Queen Mother Dr. Adelaide Sanford!
Vice Chancellor Emeritas, NY State Board of Regents. Please click her image to open a video introducing her powerful lecture:
