PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:
The Third Annual Women’s Rally and March will take place at 11 am on Sat., March 9 outside at the Gateway Building in downtown Peoria, IL. (It has been rescheduled because of a bad weather forecast for Sat. Jan. 19.)
This organizers of the march stated: "This is a local march, organized by a coalition of women and allies across the central Illinois region. We come to this event and this movement with an understanding of and an appreciation for the perspectives and experiences that have shaped us collectively as well as individually. Our movement is made richer by our differences of culture, race, ethnicity, religion, orientation, and more. As a grassroots effort, this day is a celebration of what unites us as women. On this day we stand in solidarity in our shared value for social justice."
The event will begin with music by Sarah Marie Dillard, followed at 11 AM with a welcome by Sherry Cannon a song, "King of Anything" by Dillard, Mega Maroney, & Emilele.
The keynote speaker with be Illinois Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria.).
Other speakers will include:
- Chama St. Louis - Civil Rights/Poverty and Women
- Katie Jones/Moms Against Gun Violence - Safety
- Catalina Zavala - Immigration
- Nicole Livsey - LGBTQ Civil Rights
- Tracy Meints Fox - Environmental Issues
- Rhamat N'allah - Health Care
- Music, "Glory" by Ciara Parks and DeShawn Brown
- Sherry Cannon will present closing remarks.
Here is information on the speakers:
Chama St. Louis is the Central Illinois Coalition Organizer for the Peoria People’s Project. She’s the founder of the Black Justice Project and the Communications Director for Change Peoria. She owns Euphoria Aerial & Dance Academy in Peoria. She spent 12 years at the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce and was the Marketing & Public Relations Director. She was the youngest president of the Peoria Black Chamber of Commerce at age 26 and the youngest Chairwoman of the same organization at age 28. She is currently the co-chair of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce’s sports and entertainment committee with Harry Lennix, actor on NBC’s Blacklist. She is also Chama is the assistant director and entertainment director of the Central Illinois Black Expo. Chama has worked as a political consultant to various campaigns across Illinois, she was the spokeswoman for the successful re-election campaign of the Honorable Dorothy Brown, Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. She is an elected Peoria County Democratic precinct committeewoman for West Peoria, and on the board of directors of the East Bluff Community Center. She has been featured in national news publications such as In These Times and US News and World Report.
Nicole Livsey is President of Peoria Proud and a Community Support Counselor for the Southside Office of Concern. She also serves as a board member for the Illinois Valley Fuller Center and Hand Up Peoria, is a Commissioner for the City of Peoria Fair Employment Housing Commission, is Co-Chair of the United Presbyterian Church Mission Committee, and Steering Committee and mentor for the Coming Together to Get Ahead Program.
State Representative JehanGordon-Booth, (D-Peoria), was elected in 2008, the first African-American from Central Illinois elected to the Illinois General Assembly. While she also was one of the youngest state representatives ever elected, and wasted no time making her mark for her constituents in the 92nd District. Her top issues include economic inclusion, injustices, women and children, education and mass incarceration policies. She helped pass the Neighborhood Safety Act, the most comprehensive, and expansive criminal justice reform bill to ever pass in Illinois. The bill reduced over 1,000 mandatory sentence minimums; created sentencing credits to reduce the Illinois Department of Corrections headcount by double digits; created trauma recovery centers in communities devastated by crime and violence; and give judges sentencing discretion. Representative Gordon-Booth hosts yearly Expungement Summits to help hundreds of her constituents get a fresh start and a new opportunity for a greater life by connecting them with lawyers who seal their records which often hold them back from employment. She is widely respected for her ability to develop strategies for successful passage of legislation; her bipartisan approach to complex issues, and her unwillingness to accept the word ‘NO.’
Tracy Fox is active with a number of environmental groups including the Central Illinois Healthy Community Alliance, Global Warming Solutions Group of Central Illinois, Illinois People’s Action and the Sierra Club Heart of Illinois Group. She represents the Central Illinois environmental community in the Clean Jobs Coalition, a statewide group that helped draft and pass the Future Energy Jobs Act which is responsible for solar projects here and around the state.
Dr. Rahmat Na’Allah, MD,MPH: Physician, mother, immigrant and public health advocate.Passionate about health equity, universal health and increased reproductive health care access for all.
Catalina Zavala is a Program Manager at Friendship House and has been working with immigrants for 40 years, the last 24 at Friendship House in Peoria's north end. She has helped individuals and families through the legal process for citizenship, work visas, financial issues, social support, and a variety of other problems. = 30 =
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