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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TO DOWNLOAD REPORT CLICK HERE— Change As WE See It
Marking the Obama Administration’s 100th Day in Office, Women of Color United Releases New Report “Change As WE See It: Women of Color globally share views on the 2008 U.S. Elections and beyond.” Women of color hold new administration and each other accountable for economic, racial, gender, and political justice.
Washington DC, April 27, 2009— As April 29th marks the 100th day of the Obama administration, Women of Color United (WOCU) announces the release of Change As WE See It, a 16 page report chronicling the views, concerns, expectations and desires shared by women of color through interviews from 20 states and 17 countries in the days leading up to and following the US Elections in 2008. The interviews describe the economic, political, and social hopes and fears of women of color. Furthermore, this report details what specific changes women of color are seeking with the advent of this new administration, as well as what their role has and will be as agents of change themselves.
WOCU spoke to women from Texas, Ohio, Las Vegas, Florida, and Alabama, as well as women from Uruguay, Tanzania, Indonesia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Zimbabwe, to name a few examples.
We heard disillusionment with past administrations’ relationships with communities of color. “I hope there will be a change. I’m tired of African Americans always being the football in the game of politics,” stated an early voter in Columbus, Ohio.
We also heard many statements of broad support and eager anticipation, as well as the notion that is this change is a shared responsibility between the administration and the public, such as from Ennie Chipembere from Zimbabwe, “Both the Obama administration and you as well, as every American citizen, because you guys make part up this movement of change…you have brought so much expectation of change.”
In the first 100 days Women of Color United has seen positive advancements, areas of concern, and other issues that are still in process. “The first piece of legislation Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act which women the ability to challenge unequal pay,” noted C. Nicole Mason of the Women of Color Policy Network. “Our constituency is pleased to see that Obama has lifted the restrictions that prevented nations from having the choice regarding the range of reproductive health services they wish to use in serving the needs of their residents.” says Dazon Dixon Diallo, WOCU member and Executive Director of SisterLove Inc in Atlanta, Georgia. “It’s encouraging to see that this administration has prioritized ensuring that women of color are in key positions within the administration and that there are more women of color in this administration than in any administration in the history of this nation,” states Naina Khanna of the US Positive Women’s Network. Jacqui Patterson, Coordinator of Women of Color United, who just today flew in from Geneva, Switzerland where she participated in the Durban Review Conference of the World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia, and Other Forms of Intolerance stated, “I’m excited about the advancements being led by this administration, but disappointed that these progressive actions did not include sending a delegation to this critical gathering of nations who assembled to discuss collective and national action on issues that have cast a stain against US history and present.”
Change As WE See It urges the new administration to address the myriad issues that disproportionately negatively impact communities of color. Women in the US and globally, are asking for action on climate justice, reproductive rights, racial justice, quality education, access to quality health care, a fair economy and other concerns.
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