The 2nd South Bay Womyn's Conference
Weaving Our Wisdom: from Roots to Wings
March 9th, 2013
This year’s theme, Weaving Our Wisdom: from Roots to Wings honored the intersection of shared experiences across generations, in hopes of strengthening the South Bay community. Weaving Our Wisdom sought to celebrate, learn, and reflect upon the herstory of womyn warriors working in our community, while engaging the concerns faced by today’s generation of womyn. The day will began with lessons in social, economic, political, and environmental issues that South Bay area womyn have historically confronted throughout the course of their lives and careers. Continuing, workshops thought deeply on how issues evolve in ways which challenge us differently, demanding our critical attention with fresh eyes. The conference ended in full blossom, as we wove together our collaborative spirits and created new ways to produce a strong, healthy community of womyn and allies.
Sessions
Session I: Honoring Herstory
Honoring Herstory seeks to look at past and current movements and social issues that have affected our community. This session will be a morning of revitalizing our understanding of womyn warrior's work in decades past. Honoring Herstory ask: what does it mean to have been a womyn speaking up for something greater? What historical lessons can we glean from this session that will inform us today and effect us tomorrow? Let's pay homage.
Session II: Health, Wellness, & Healing
Health, Wellness & Healing allows for a set of workshops focused on the practice of self-care; spiritually and physically. This session explores mid-day meditations on the growth of our minds, bodies and souls in today's toxic environments. Presenters seek to answer the question: how can we keep steady on our path of healthy living by minding what and how we eat, think, say and love?
Session III: Facing Forward
Facing Forward aims to take action, learn from the past and face our futures by embracing ourselves, our loved ones and those in the community. This session is about coming full circle to garner new energy, harbor creativity and collaborate with one another. The leaders of this session ask attendees to answer for themselves, how shall we make our world anew?
Panels
Panel I: Breaking Boundaries & Laying New Ground
Olga Talamante

Steeda McGruder

Steeda Mcgruder is the Founder of Sisters That Been There, a mentor program for women recently released form incarceration. Steeda, released a couple of years ago, stepped out of Elmwood jail with a dream to not forget about the women she left behind those bars-- women like herself who've come a long way. Upon her release, she joined Silicon Valley DeBug and immediately immersed herself in criminal justice work. In collaboration with the County of Santa Clara, her program became a reality. Moving forward from a life of substance use and prostitution, Sisters That Been There gives her a chance to now work alongside women in breaking the cycle of incarceration: motivating women in finding their dreams, and to live their dreams, despite having come from the worst walks of life.
Joan Goddard

Rowena Tomaneng

Panel II: Forging the Future, Reshaping Possibilities
Deepa Sharma

Deepa Sharma currently serves as the Political Director of the South Alameda County Young Democrats. She is a lifelong Democrat, born and raised in the city of Fremont, and attended UC Berkeley, where she studied Political Science. Deepa was elected as the Nor-Cal Outreach Chair of the California Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, and was elected to serve as a delegate from the 20th Assembly District to the Democratic State Central Committee, where she was the top female vote-getter in 2011. She has also served as the Assistant Campaign Coordinator for the Ohlone Area United Democratic Campaign in 2006, and has proudly worked to get local Democrats elected. Deepa has served as a Senior Field Representative for Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski, and Campaign Manager for Assemblymember Jim Beall's campaign for State Senate in the Silicon Valley. Deepa is committed to bringing young voters into the decision-making process and to get involved.
Moderator: Melissa-Ann Nievera-Lozano

Melissa-Ann Nievera-Lozano describes herself as: mother, woman of color, and believer in storytelling as healing. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research builds from theories of coloniality and women-of-color epistemologies, to understand how the life histories and experiences of racism, classism, and gendered heteropatriarchy among critically engaged Filipino American scholars inform their work. Since moving to San Jose in 2008, Melissa has participated in various community-based projects, including the impending installation of a mural at the Milpitas Library commemorating Filipino American farmworkers.
Aiko Shirakawa

Megan Fluke Medeiros

Shahin Gerami

Community Resources
Cesar E. Chavez Community Action Center
LGBTQ Youth Space
MAITRI
API Equality – Northern California
Local Businesses
Autumn Damiana
Sweets By Ruth
Entwined Essentials
Champagne Wishes and Chocolate Dreams
Floral Charm
Bead Infinitum
Fuzzy Lollipop
Accessory Ninja
Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo
Treasure Paper Things
Robbyn Blumenschein
Student Organizations
VDay at SJSU