The views and opinions expressed in this piece are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the position of Positive Women’s Network – USA.
by: Katie Willingham
April 4, 2022
Elation was the first thing I felt when I saw my first face, the first time I’ve seen a PWN sister in over 2 years, it was so wonderful to see them and get a hug. A hug seems like such a simple thing, we used to never even think about it, but after the last two years a hug has become a priceless gift. First I saw Crystal Townsend our organizing manager and Barb Cardell our training director, both of whom I adore, but I also got to meet a new sister, our (PWN’s) new communications director Victoria Siciliano. I already love her and I’m so thrilled that she lives right here in Alabama, I really look forward to working with her. But that’s the staff, then I got to see the sisters of PWN Alabama, most I haven’t seen in person in over two years, and some I’ve never met face to face at all. Sure, we see (or hear) each other every week on zoom, but it’s not the same, it’s just so wonderful to see everyone again. A hug is something I’ll never take for granted again.
But then it was time for business, the reason why we came, we’re here for training after all lol. PWN is going around the country to offer training to each chapter in whatever that chapter decides it needs, if it’s legislative understanding, or chapter structure, PWN will train on that subject for that chapter. Alabama was their first stop.
Our first day started with breakfast and a Covid test, not at the same time of course lol. We also wore masks just to be safe. Barb covered most of the basics: mission, vision, values, herstory, etc. Then Crystal moved on to things like organizational structure, duties of chapter officers, and chapter goals. Then Victoria talked about sharing your story, guidelines for writing, and how to engage with the media. I think they did a great job of making the day fun and engaging. After the first day was done we shared a meal together and had a good time talking, but it was a long day and I was happy to get some sleep to get ready for day two.
Day 2 started the same way as day one – with a swab up the nose lol. Daily testing for Covid was paramount to our being able to be together, so the swab was worth it, no one complained – much lol. Once we got going we started the day talking about state government and how to talk to legislators, Vanessa Tate did an amazing job teaching us all the nuts and bolts of government and how to most effectively communicate your issues to those in power. She showed us websites where we can track bills being processed through the state government and how to talk to our legislators (or staff), She packed a full day in the time that she had, she’s quite a brilliant woman and very effective, I’m happy that we have her here in Alabama too.
Then we decided to shake out the cobwebs with an interactive exercise, it was an exercise we learned in Atlanta, it’s a musical exercise to represent unity in diversity. It’s an exercise I understand as a kit drummer, see, on a drum kit you have four limbs all playing a different sound and even different tempos, but when you put it all together in the same time or rhythm you make music. In this exercise everyone stands in a circle and claps in time together, then one by one each person makes their own sound, by the time you get around the circle everyone is making different sounds but clapping together and it sounds a little like music. It displays how beautiful unity can be even with all of our uniqueness and diversity, when we come together we make something powerful.
And of course we couldn’t leave without some pictures. We even took a video about reproductive Justice for TicToc.
But before we closed our final day we passed out our reproductive justice T-shirts that we had made. It’s a gorgeous shirt that says “Let’s Talk About Reproductive Justice” then lists some examples of reproductive justice, it pictured the silhouettes of two women with a bejeweled microphone between them. They were gorgeous!
All together I think we shared some needed intimate and productive time together. I got to know some sisters better, like Marcia, I got to know how amazing she is, and I believe this time together will help all of us to work together in the future and perhaps be a little more patient with each other at times. We shared some honest and vulnerable spaces together that I think will only serve to benefit us as a chapter, as a group of women, and as sisters. Thank you PWN-USA!! PWN Alabama is stronger because of you, now on to Houston and Colorado!!
