The Womanity Project

This week we talked with Amy Schiller, a journalist and academic focused on feminism, politics, philanthropy, and culture. Her words can be found in The Atlantic, The Nation, The Daily Beast, New York Magazine, The American Prospect, Salon, and more. She is currently working toward a PhD in political science.

Power song: I'm So Into You by SWV

Quote : "Being a feminist, is really about affording equal humanity and equal opportunity to express that humanity to everybody."

Born in London and raised in Belfast, Rachel Tombs currently lives in New Zealand and is pursuing an undergraduate degree in history. She's a member of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa and was invited to the United Nations Commission on women's empowerment in the world of work to speak on behalf of the organization.

Power song: Grigio Girls by Lady Gaga

Diana is a photographer, musician, chef, and founder and creative director of R&D Studios. She hosts regular multi-media art salons inspired by French salons and speaks about the wealth of ideas and momentum in the feminist movement currently.

Power song: Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cindi Lauper

Quote: "I think right now, we are in such a moment of emergence. There are so many women starting businesses and fighting the system right now. It's a very inspiring time."

Rachel Trachtenburg is known for her role as drummer and backup vocalist in the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, alongside her parents Jason and TIna. She talks with us about growing up feminist and the importance of young women advocating for themselves. 

Power song: Superstar by Lauryn Hill

We spoke with actress and writer Melody Bates and dancer and choreographer Hettie Barnhill about feminist performance and their new play, The Cabaret at the End of the World. A "two-woman plus a few" riff on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, it explores gender inequality through dark humor and cabaret.  

Power song: Holy Water by Alicia Keys

Waseif Qahatan is a Yemeni-American entrepreneur, mother, and the founder of Checkmate Cosmetics. She speaks with us about her relationship to religion and her experience as a former child bride.

Power song: Human Nature by Madonna

Becky Curran is the coordinator of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity department of SAG-AFTRA and an international motivational speaker. She's travelled all over the world speaking about Achondroplasia, the type of Dwarfism she was born with, and equality for people with disabilities. She speaks with us about how her disability has affected her life and how she wants to affect change.

Power song: Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

Quote: “Most people ask me, if I were to do it all over again, would I still want to be a little person? I always respond by saying, 'I would still choose to be a little person, but I would change the way society reacts to my difference.'" 

The Women's March on Washington in 2017 and the sister marches across the country marked a moment of renewed resistance and the continuation of a fight for equality that has long been ongoing. In the wake of the devastation of the election, we heard from attendees of the Women's March about why they showed up and where they hope to see the movement go.

Power song: Tiny Hands by Fiona Apple (Matt Bailer remix)
Quote: "It's our duty to resist if we think that our government isn't speaking for us as the people."

A pastry chef turned women's rights activist, Breanne Butler was born in raised in Detroit, Michigan. She moved to New York to pursue a degree as a chef and was one of the organizers of the first Women's March in 2017. She shares her journey to activism and how this moment feels inside the movement.

Power song: Not Ready to Make Nice by The Chicks
Quote: "When you see this influx of support [for survivors], then all of the sudden it gives you the strength and courage to come forward with your own situation." 

Angela Ellsworth is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, and professor. She created the Museum of Walking and the Plural Wife project, which navigates how the body relates to gender and sexuality. The project explores the inherent queerness in early Morman polygamy that Angela witnessed in her ancestry growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Part 2 of 2. 

Power song: Say Yes by Elliott Smith