Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

she crew leaders reflect on feats, end of organization
by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times
2020-06-24

This article shared 2928 times since Wed Jun 24, 2020
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Six years after its founding, {she crew} has announced that the organization will be ending later this year. Co-founders Meredith Montgomery and Jess London-Shields told Windy City Times that they agreed at the beginning of 2020 that this would be {she crew}'s last year.London-Shields said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the end date of some programs and has moved the weekly podcast SHE CAST from an in-person endeavor to a virtual one to comply with stay at home and social distancing orders.

"We are holding the space to be a place of support and to help process this pandemic, to write together, reflect and to also create podcasting content," said Montgomery. "While the pandemic has compromised our ability to meet in person, much sooner than anticipated, we are elongating our weekly virtual meet-ups to last for at least the duration of this pandemic, however long that is, and hold a going-away party once such meet-ups are safe again."

"With regards to why we are shutting down, we believe that every organization has its life span, and it is important to listen and respect that when it shows itself," said London-Shields.

Montgomery and London-Shields, who married in 2016 and are both former Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honorees, started {she crew} "to create a safe, expressive, creative and collaborative space for young people that was unapologetically feminist and intersectional."

One of the reasons why they wanted to have this space is because Chicago has been segregated in many ways including the education and extracurricular systems in both racial and financial ways.

"We wanted to create a community of people from all corners of the city, and make it physically and financially accessible, with small groups that helped foster safety, sharing and a depth of impact," said Montgomery.

{she crew} has and has had several leaders other than Montgomery and London-Shields. This includes Kayla Lane Freeman, who organized and led the young professional's board; and Lil Cummings, who organized the subscription series Feminist Agenda and is also currently a member of the young professional's board. Other leaders included instructors of all ages, youth interns, board members and young professional's board members.

As for the highlights of the past six years, London-Shields pointed to the six summer intensive programs and the three years of SHE CAST podcast episodes.

"The summer intensive is a free program for young people and it additionally provides free CTA transit cards and a free meal that was collectively cooked/prepared and shared at the beginning of every day," said London-Shields. "The summer curriculum included a combination of expressive writing, performance, collaborative exercises, social justice education and culinary education/skill development.

"At the end of the summer, participants put on a performance of pieces they have written while in program. This program is intended to provide foundations in supporting the genuine selves of the participants, helping them grow in their capacities of being seen by others and building confidence in their words and validity in taking up space. Our podcast SHE CAST, meets weekly during the school year, and provides SHE CASTers with a larger platform in which to explore issues that matter to them."

Montgomery said the written performances over the course of the six summer intensive programs that stand out to her are Shower Thoughts, Hidden Lines: {hir}story, rumble, Girl Riot, Imperfect Truths and Uprising of the Snowflakes. She added that there are 22 episodes of SHE CAST with more to come in the ensuing months.

London-Shields emphasized that none of these programs would have been possible without {she crew} host and partner, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.

"All {she crew} programs have been run out of the Hull-House, starting with our second summer, and they have been a very big part in helping to make {she crew}the program that it has been," said London-Shields.

When asked about the best/favorite aspect of running {she crew}, Montgomery said that it was whenever they worked with the young people and something new was being explored.

"Being present for new connections, friendships, learning and risk-taking has been an incredible and enriching thing to witness," said Montgomery. "We have been able to see many {she crew} grow up and we are incredibly proud of them."

When asked what they hope {she crew}'s legacy will be, Montgomery said it will be "held in the participants, the adults who helped make it happen and ourselves. {she crew} changed us forever, and I believe there will be imprints and reverberations within everyone who has been a part of this community."

As for their message to the world, London-Shields said COVID-19 has changed everyone's lives in various difficult and sometimes tragic ways but it is not an immoral or villainous character, it is a force of nature.

London-Shields added that this disease has amplified the disparities between people in even more pronounced ways and "shown our true natures both good and bad."

"During non-pandemic times, feminist leadership is rarely given value, funding or serious support," said London-Shields. "However when we compare the leadership that we see throughout our county and our world in response to COVID-19, you can see the stark difference between feminist leadership, and leadership fueled by toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity, racism and a hatred of poor people is literally killing us. Feminist, anti-racist leadership matters. Policy for people over profits matters. Please, if you can, support your local grass-roots organizations. "

Montgomery called on everyone to shift their support to organizations that {she crew} has worked with including Assata's Daughters, Midwest Access Coalition, Women Unite! and the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.

New episodes of SHE CAST will continue to come out throughout 2020. To listen to SHE CAST, visit soundcloud.com/shecast or wherever podcasts are found.

See SheCrew.org .


This article shared 2928 times since Wed Jun 24, 2020
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Lambda Legal Launches "Speak OUT" awareness campaign uplifting trans, nonbinary voices
2024-03-28
--From a press release. VIDEO BELOW - (NEW YORK, NY — March 28, 2024) In advance of Transgender Day of Visibility, Lambda Legal, the nation's oldest and largest legal nonprofit working to achieve full equal rights for LGBTQ people and everyone living with ...


Gay News

Brown Elephant Returns To Northalsted
2024-03-26
Brown Elephant's Lake View location is moving to Northalsted and already accepting donations. Howard Brown Health, the largest LGBTQ+ health center in the midwest, operates three Brown Elephant resale shops in the Chicagoland area to help ...


Gay News

Be here, be queer, play polo: Gay Polo League creates safe athletic space for LGBTQ community
2024-03-26
LGBTQ+ athletic clubs aren't too hard to come by, offering a variety of sports such as softball, soccer and more in cities across the country. But LGBTQ+ athletes would be harder pressed to find someplace to ...


Gay News

After 30 Under 30: MAP Executive Director Naomi Goldberg
2024-03-25
NOTE: In this series, Windy City Times will profile some of its past 30 Under 30 honorees. Windy City Times started its 30 Under 30 Awards in 2001, presenting them each year through 2019. This year, ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event
2024-03-25
Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Former Chicago Girl Scouts CEO Brooke Wiseman to receive Luminary Award
2024-03-22
Brooke Wiseman, a now-retired nonprofit leader in the Chicago area, spent most of her career creating leadership development opportunities for girls and women—and making sure that hungry children could be fed. While leading Girl Scouts of ...


Gay News

Affinity celebrates Burning Bowl while looking toward the future
2024-03-19
On March 17, Affinity Community Services held its annual Burning Bowl ceremony even as it already sets its organizational sights on 2025. The event, titled Burning Bowl 2024 Evolution, was held at Studio Imani, 5917 N. ...


Gay News

Almost 8% of U.S. residents identify as LGBTQ+
2024-03-16
The proportion of U.S. adults identifying as LGBTQ+ continues to increase. LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to grow, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as LGBTQ+, according to the newest Gallup poll results that ...


Gay News

Howard Brown experts discuss advocacy and allyship for Chicago's trans community
2024-03-14
By Alec Karam - Howard Brown Health's Trans & Gender Diverse People's Rights & Patient Care panel convened March 12 to discuss both resources for—and opportunities to provide allyship to—the city's trans and gender diverse communities. The event hos ...


Gay News

Howard Brown Health faces October trial if settlement isn't reached with union
2024-03-13
Howard Brown Health could go to trial over unfair labor practice allegations if the LGBTQ+ health center doesn't reach a settlement with its agreement soon. Chicago's regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed ...


Gay News

Women's History Month doesn't do enough to lift up Black lesbians
2024-03-12
Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective (CRC) was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by ...


Gay News

No 'explanations' needed: Affinity remains a haven for Chicago's Black queer community
2024-03-12
Back in 2007, Anna DeShawn came out while she was studying for her undergraduate degree. At around the same time, she searched online for "Black lesbians in Chicago." Her search led her to Affinity Community Services, ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77
2024-03-12
On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner
2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted's signature Human First Gala to return
2024-03-11
--From a press release - CHICAGO, IL — Center on Halsted's signature Human First Gala will be held on Saturday, April 20 at The Geraghty. The gala brings together LGBTQ+ community members and allies for an evening of celebration to recognize ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.