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Planned Parenthood, Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte Join Women’s March on Washington

 The March will be hosted by Honorary Co-Chairs Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte, and joined by Planned Parenthood, national and local organizations, volunteers, and community leaders standing together for social justice and human rights.

 NEW YORK, NY – Today, the Women’s March on Washington announced Planned Parenthood Federation of America as a key partner, as well as feminist activist, organizer, and writer Gloria Steinem and legendary actor, entertainer and humanitarian Harry Belafonte as Honorary Co-Chairs. Hundreds of thousands of women are expected to join the Women’s March on Washington, which will take place in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2017.

 Held on the first day of the new Presidential administration, the Women’s March on Washington aims to send a message to all levels of government and the incoming Presidential administration, that we stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to act to protect the rights of women, their families and their communities.  The involvement of Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte, long-time leaders in women’s rights and racial and social justice movements respectively, symbolizes the breadth of the leadership involved in the March, and the diversity of issues that it will address.

“Our Constitution does not begin with ‘I, the President.’ It begins with, ‘We, the People.’ I am proud to be one of thousands who will come to Washington to make clear that we will keep working for a democracy in which we are linked as human beings, not ranked by race or gender or class or any other label,” said Ms. Steinem.

Planned Parenthood, a long-time leader in large scale advocacy and mobilization efforts, will provide support to March planning efforts, help guide safety plans, utilize their robust digital platforms and staff resources as needed, and work to ensure that attendees have a positive and impactful experience at the March.

“Planned Parenthood is thrilled to partner with the historic Women’s March on Washington on January 21,” said Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “This is an historic moment to come together to protect the progress we’ve made. We will send a strong message to the incoming administration that millions of people across this country are prepared to fight attacks on reproductive health care, abortion services, and access to Planned Parenthood, as they intersect with the rights of young people, people of color, immigrants, and people of all faiths, backgrounds, and incomes.”

March National Co-Chair Linda Sarsour said, “We know that we stand on the shoulders of giants, and we are thrilled to welcome Ms. Steinem and Mr. Belafonte as honorary co-chairs. Alongside our new partner Planned Parenthood, together we are bridging the historical struggles for women’s rights and civil rights to the current intersectional movement for dignity and human rights.”

The Women’s March on Washington is a women-led grassroots movement that will bring people of all genders and backgrounds together to take a stand on social justice and human rights issues ranging from race, ethnicity, gender, religion, immigration and health care. Over 30 sister marches are also being planned across the country. The March is a statement of solidarity affirming our shared humanity and fundamental human rights. Visit www.womensmarch.com  for additional information.

About the Women’s March on Washington: The Women’s March on Washington, held on January 21st in Washington, D.C., intends to send a bold message to the incoming Presidential administration on their first day in office, to leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and to the world, that we stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to act to protect the rights of women, their families and their communities. The March is led by a national coordinating committee, volunteer organizers representing all 50 states, and numerous partner organizations. Partners include Planned Parenthood, Amnesty International, United We Dream, Muslim Women’s Alliance and more.

About Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With over 650 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

About Gloria Steinem: Gloria Steinem is a writer, lecturer, political activist, and feminist organizer. She travels in this and other countries as an organizer and lecturer and is a frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality. She is particularly interested in the shared origins of sex and race caste systems, gender roles and child abuse as roots of violence, non-violent conflict resolution, the cultures of indigenous peoples, and organizing across boundaries for peace and justice. She lives in New York City.

About Harry Belafonte: Harry Belafonte is a social activist, singer, songwriter and actor. Already a well-established and best-selling singer in the 1960s, he emerged as a strong voice for the civil rights movement and was by the side of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech at the 1964 March on Washington. Mr. Belafonte’s activism has extended throughout his life, including acting as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, campaigning to end the practice of apartheid in South Africa, and speaking out against U.S. military actions in Iraq. He is the founder of The Gathering for Justice, a non-profit dedicated to ending child incarceration, and Sankofa, a nonprofit which blends arts and activism. Mr. Belafonte resides in New York with his wife, Pamela.

About Tamika Mallory: Tamika D. Mallory is nationally recognized as a fiery and outspoken champion for social justice who has worked closely with the Obama Administration as an advocate for civil rights issues, equal rights for women, health care, gun violence, and police misconduct. Tamika has been publicly applauded as “a leader of tomorrow” by Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, Valerie B. Jarrett and was selected to serve on the transition committee of New York City Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio. She served as a national organizer for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, which drew 300,000, as well as Justice or Else!, where she delivered a national address to over 700,000. A leading figure in the grassroots, community-based effort to stop gun violence in New York City, Tamika was instrumental in creating the NYC Crisis Management System, an official gun violence prevention program that awards nearly $20 million annually to innovative violence intervention organizations. After serving as National Action Network’s youngest Executive Director, Tamika founded Mallory Consulting, a strategic planning firm in New York City.

About Carmen Perez: Carmen Perez has dedicated 20 years to advocating for many of today’s important civil rights issues, including mass incarceration, gender equality, violence prevention, racial healing and community policing. As the Executive Director of The Gathering for Justice, a nonprofit founded by Harry Belafonte, Carmen has crossed the globe promoting peace through civil and human rights, building alternatives to incarceration and violence, and providing commentary and guidance for state and federal policy creation. Her work inside of juvenile detention centers and prisons in California and New York has provided cultural, spiritual and educational events as well as individual support to incarcerated youth. Carmen is the co-founder of Justice League NYC and founder of Justice League CA, two state-based task forces for advancing juvenile and criminal justice reform agenda. She has organized numerous national convenings, including Growing Up Locked Down conferences on juvenile justice, and the March2Justice, a 250 mile march which drew Congressional attention to key legislative reforms to confront the national crisis in police violence. A respected expert in the field of juvenile and criminal justice and system accountability, Carmen was invited to testify before the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing and have been featured in numerous media outlets.

About Linda Sarsour: Linda Sarsour is an award-winning, Brooklyn-born Palestinian-American-Muslim racial justice and civil rights activist, community organizer, social media maverick, and mother of three. Linda has been at the forefront of major social justice campaigns both locally in New York City and nationally. She led the successful, progressive coalition to close New York public schools for the observance of two of Islam’s most important holy days, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. In 2015, Linda was one of three women co-chairs of the March2Justice, an effort advised and chaired by legendary artist and activist Belafonte, leading almost 100 marchers through 5 states and 250 miles from Staten Island, NY to Washington, DC. Linda was invited to deliver an address before 700,000 people at the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March, and gained international media coverage. Linda is the Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York, co-founder of Muslims for Ferguson, and a member of Justice League NYC. She is most notably recognized for her focus on intersectional movement building.

Planned Parenthood, Gloria Steinem and Harry Belafonte Join Women’s March on Washington  was originally published on kysdc.com