[Imc-girls] Second Draft of Press Release

[Shawn D. Williams]

Ann,
I was thinking replacing just the front half, but what you added is fine.

Thanks!
>===== Original Message From "Anne Odom" <anne at webeasel.net> =====
>All - here's another draft of the press release.  Thanks to Amy Aidman and
>Shawn Williams for suggestions.
>
>Shawn - I was unclear as to whether you wanted me to replace the whole
>quote, or just the front half.  Let me know if you want it pared down.
>
>Zoe and Danielle - please send me confirmation that I can use the quotes I
>made up for you, or send me new quotes.
>
>I am going to start distributing this to news outlets next Tuesday, April
>27th.  If you want to weigh in, do it before then.
>
>Thanks!
>A.
>
>------------------------
>PRESS RELEASE FOR RAGG
>------------------------
>
>New Group for Local Girlz and Womyn
>
>R.A.G.G. - the Resource and Action Group for Girlz-n-Womyn - is a local
>grassroots partnership OF girlz and womyn FOR girlz and womyn whose aim is
>to provide safe spaces, resources, and activities to foster creativity,
>self-expression, and empowerment.  Building on the work of GirlZone, which
>closed recently, R.A.G.G. will continue to provide social activities and
>workshops to girls and women in Champaign County. The newest program of the
>Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (IMC), R.A.G.G. also aims to
>become a central resource for disseminating information about other
>resources for females in the community.  "There are programs and resources
>for girls and women in this community many folks aren't aware of.  We hope
>to bring diverse groups of females together where they can share their many
>talents, gifts, and experiences," says Shawn Williams, one of R.A.G.G.'s
>core organizers and employee of the Urban Exchange Center at the University
>of Illinois. "Not only do we want to provide safe spaces for girls & women,
>we want other organizations and even businesses to do the same.  If we can
>be *the* place to go to find out about any female-centric events and
>offerings in the community, we make it easy for people to get the word out
>when they want to offer something along those lines".
>
>A goal of R.A.G.G. is to be responsive to girls' and women’s needs for
>community activities and resources.  "Girls are often looking to learn
>things that aren't available from their regular resources - like
>non-main-stream foreign languages, skateboarding, and how to be politically
>active in their community," says Zoe Swords, another core organizer and
>student at University High School. "If we have somewhere to go where we can
>say 'Hey - can you find us a resource for this', then we have a safe place
>to open doors for ourselves."  R.A.G.G. aims to fill this need by taking
>requests from girls and women in the community and trying to offer, or
>inspire others to offer, workshops, classes, or other activities on
>requested topics.
>
>R.A.G.G. is a partnership of both girls and women, because females of all
>ages have a lot to teach each other.  According to Danielle Chynoweth,
>another of R.A.G.G.’s core organizers and an Urbana City Councilwoman,
>"while the women in the organization have a lot of resources to offer to the
>girls, the girls are instrumental in reminding us who we are, what our
>programs are about, and inspiring us to learn things we have begun to think
>we are 'too old' to learn."
>
>R.A.G.G. has done some fund-raising and plans to kick-off officially on
>Saturday, May 29th.  The group will host a day full of workshops at the
>Independent Media Center and other downtown Urbana locations, followed by a
>benefit show and kick-off party in the evening.  Workshops will be limited
>to girls and women only, but the evening entertainment is open to all.
>Registration for workshops will be at the IMC - check the R.A.G.G. website
>for details in early May - http://ragg.ucimc.org.
>
>Through skill sharing, community organizing, education, activism, and just
>plain old support, R.A.G.G. will provide girls and women with a network and
>outlet for unleashing our creativity, strength, and power!
>
>Any girl or woman interested in joining the R.A.G.G. organizing committee
>should send an email to imc-girls at ucimc.org. Girlz and womyn of all shapes,
>sizes, ages, colors, etc. are warmly invited to join in this community
>effort to create a safe and empowering space
>
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Anne Odom * Product Manager * WebEasel, Inc.
>WebEasel - It's that easy!
>anne at webeasel.net * www.webeasel.net * 217.344.0444
>
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Peace

Shawn D. Williams
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The quality of light by which we scrutinize our lives has direct bearing upon the product which we live, and upon the changes which we hope to bring about through those lives
                                                     -Audre Lorde
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