Today on Sojourner Truth, Part 2 of our International Women's Strike Los Angeles 2020 event. The event was held to mark International Women's Day. If you missed Part 1 of our special, you can find it by going to SoundCloud.com and searching for Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod.
On Saturday, March 7, hundreds of people converged in South Los Angeles to take part in the International Women's Strike Los Angeles. The event was held in solidarity with events happening around the world for International Women's Day. It included a rally, a feminism for the 99 percent dance party, an interactive performance piece, street art, music, healing and action areas. Women and girls in countries across the world " from Thailand to Poland, Kenya and Argentina " held events. The strike demanded action for our rights, living wages (including for mothers and other caregivers), an end to violence, murder and the forced disappearance of women, an end to war, and respect for the rights of Mother Earth. The Los Angeles International Women's Day events began in 2000. They were followed by a call from women in Ireland for a one-day strike. They approached the Wages for Housework Campaign, who agreed to take the events globally. Thus, the birth of the Global Women's Strike. Then in 2017, women in Argentina followed by women in Poland and other countries around the world, called for an International Women's Strike on International Women's Day. Since then, women in Los Angeles and in at least 50 countries have participated. In Los Angeles, the strike was planned by a cross-movement multiracial team of women representing diverse grassroots organizations and networks.
Today, as Part 2 of our special, you will hear more speeches and performances from the International Women's Strike held in South Los Angeles. First, you will hear from Dolores Huerta, a civil rights icon who presented this years Women Warrior honor to Susan Burton and Lawana Panther Mancina. Susan Burton is the founder of A New Way of Life, which provides housing and other support to formerly incarcerated women. Lawana Panther Mancina is the family member of one of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Lawana's son spoke on her behalf. Last year, in 2019, Dolores Huerta was the recipient of the Women Warrior honor. Afterwards, you will hear a statement delivered by Trudy Goodwin on behalf of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, known as BAJI. BAJI fights for immigrant rights and racial justice with African-Americans and Black immigrants across the U.S. Following that, you will hear statements delivered by Kenia Alcocer, Co-Chair of the California Poor People's Campaign, and La Mikia Castillo with Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. Following our Station Break and our weekly Earth Minute, you will hear more statements from Marwa Rifahie, a Civil Rights attorney speaking about the rights of Palestinian people, and Pat Alviso with Military Families Speak Out. That is followed by a touching poem delivered by Sabreen Adeeba. Finally, to close off, you will hear rare historic audio from the Pacifica Radio Archives featuring Audre Lorde, Coretta Scott King and Selma James.
