Laguna Niguel, CA (January 22, 2017)—WAVE (Women for American Values and Ethics) held an inspirational fundraising event Monday evening, featuring three of the organizers of the Women’s March at a private home in Laguna Niguel. Just days after the second annual Women’s March, which drew more than a million participants throughout the nation, WAVE welcomed Paola Mendoza, filmmaker and the March’s Artistic Director and National Organizer; Sarah Sophie Flicker, activist, producer, creative director; and Jenna Arnold, educator, co-founder of ORGANIZE and Press Play Productions, to speak to 125 attendees in South Orange County.
The March organizers came together in the days after the November 2016 election as part of the movement to form a unified march. The story of the March’s genesis, which included planning the single largest protest in world history in about ten weeks, served as a compelling reminder to attendees how quickly passion can become action when fueled by conviction.
At the event Monday night, the speakers posed for photographs with participants, spoke movingly about their own experiences as women and activists, and exhorted members of the assembled crowd to use their own voices, power, and votes to effect change on the local and national political landscape.
The March organizers came together in the days after the November 2016 election as part of the movement to form a unified march. The story of the March’s genesis, which included planning the single largest protest in world history in about ten weeks, served as a compelling reminder to attendees how quickly passion can become action when fueled by conviction.
‘The American woman is the most powerful demographic in the world. The world has been waiting for the American woman to wake up!’ –Jenna Arnold
Themes addressed by the speakers included empowering women of color and immigrants, the importance of intersectionality in approaching injustice and equality, having daring discussions to heal divisiveness, and a call to march to the polls in November. The organizers signed dozens of copies of the commemorative book Together We Rise, published this month, a collection of essays and photographs about the Women’s March whose proceeds benefit three grassroots, women-led organizations: The Gathering for Justice, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, and Indigenous Women Rise.
Among WAVE’s guests was Margaret Houffelaar, 91, of Laguna Woods, a retired dressmaker and Holocaust survivor, who has been attending political rallies since the election in November 2016 and received a standing ovation from the gathered attendees. After Monday’s event, Margaret became one of the newest members of WAVE.
“WAVE is proud to have hosted this historic event with Paola, Sarah Sophie, and Jenna,” said Joanna Weiss, WAVE founder and president. “Their stories and their activism inspire us to continue our work giving a voice to those who have felt powerless. Witnessing the impact of the Women’s March, along with women engaging on an unprecedented level in local and national politics, has been so gratifying, but we still have a long way to go. It’s my hope that hearing from these multi-hyphenate powerhouses will be a shot in the arm that will carry us all the way to the midterms and beyond as we continue to defend and advance progressive American values.”
WAVE is a federal political action committee made up of a diverse group of nonpartisan women that aims to educate its members and the community on important political issues, empower its members by providing advocacy training, and advance political candidates, organizations, and policies that support progressive American values and ethics. For more information, visit http://www.wave4all.org/