March 8 -- it's International Women's Day, and women are leading and have been leading the way in so many arenas, too often without recognition.
So pleased that my talkback guests this weekend are two women leaders.
Saturday, March 9 (5 pm showtime)
Navigating Disability: Trump Era’s Clarion Call for Advocates and Activists to Come Out of the (Inaccessible) Closet with Ingrid Tischer
The Disability Rights Movement is an important part of this nation’s civil rights history. And Berkeley has always been a hot-bed of activism. Ingrid Tischer is a disability rights activist, writer, and blogger at Tales from The Crip, https://talesfromthecrip.org/author/ingridtischer/ (yes, that’s what she titled her blog).
She is the Development Director of Disability Rights Education Defense Fund (DREDF). I had the pleasure of working with Ingrid when she and I were both at Equal Rights Advocates. A talented writer and thought leader Ingrid brings lots of heart and passion to her work. Read more about Ingrid here.
Sunday, March 10 (2 pm showtime)
The 50th Anniversary of Ethnic Studies: Its Influence beyond Campus, with Juanita Tamayo Lott
The debate over ethnic studies is still alive and well. Some propose that ethnic studies be part of all school districts’ K-12 curriculum. Others take the position that ethnic studies create antipathy towards whites and should be abolished. Fifty years ago, Juanita Tamayo was among the leaders of the student strike at San Francisco State University. This movement, started by The Black Student Union and The Third World Liberation Front, led to the creation of ethnic studies departments. Juanita Tamayo Lott went on to a distinguished career as a demographer and statistician and has written extensively about identity and race.
Juanita will be signing copies of her memoir, Golden Children: Legacy of Ethnic Studies, SF State, following the talkback. Read this interesting article about Juanita here.
One of the biggest rewards of doing my one-woman show Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name? is what happens right after most shows. These talkbacks are on-stage conversations with civil rights leaders who share the important work they are doing with the audience. These 30-minute conversations have been videotaped, and once the run is over, I’ll have time to see them and to reflect on the conversations. I will be sharing these videos on my website over the next few weeks. A few are already available at https://www.irmaherrera.com/video
Looking forward to this weekend’s shows and to hearing from Ingrid and Juanita.
And what have audiences been saying about Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name? Here's some of the buzz:
“Humorous, clever, poignant, and very revelatory of the social experiences and interactions of many Mexican-Americans with American institutions and non-Hispanic whites. I would say it is a must see: very enjoyable yet so informative.” ~Norma
"Irma Herrera's exploration of confronting racism on her path as a first-generation professional is moving and revealing. Herrera's decision to give up a career as a leading civil rights lawyer to become a performance artist turns out to have been a shift in method, not message or calling. SEE THIS SHOW! ~ David Oppenheimer, UC Berkeley, Clinical Professor of Law
Irma’s thoughtful, humorous, challenging, personal presentation, reminded us how racism can creep into daily crevices of life. It was an hour well-spent . . . though her thought-provoking, live memoir sticks with you long after the lights go down.” ~Steve Thrush
Here's the 411:
The Marsh Theater Berkeley
2120 Allston Way (between Shattuck & Oxford, ½ block from Downtown Berkeley BART)
Student Discount: $10 for ALL shows with use of discount code: “law”.
Tickets start at $20 at http://bit.ly/BklyMarsh