One Billion Rising Program

One Billion Rising Program

8:00 – Downtown Awareness March - Meet at Nina F Abady Festival Park- in front of the Richmond Coliseum - 6th St. Marketplace, Richmond, VA 23223

11:00 – doors to the Coliseum open

11:00 – 12:00  Arrival - explore the offerings on the floor and enjoy: Hoopers, Glow dancers, Resource tables, Sponsors’ booths, Slam poets, Mini-Vagina Monologues piece performances, music/bands/ Capoiera dancers, drumming, Slaying the Dragon interactive display

11:55 – Ssssshhh!  Big Surprise!  Bring your dancing shoes!

12:00 to 1:15 One Billion Rising Rally

Christina Feerick News Anchor, WRIC-TV8

Opening: Susan Singer

Speakers and Musicians

·         * Claire Hylton Sheppard tells her personal story about her daughter’s murder

·        *  Women's Multisports of Richmond's Crankrising  gives a donation to Safe Harbor Shelter

·         * Sergeant Carol Adams,Richmond Police Department, speaks of her personal experience and what she has done to turn tragedy into a passion for helping others

·         * Gaye Adegbalola and the Wild Roots perform three pieces during the rally

·        *    Mayor Dwight Jones speaks about what he’s seen in RVA, what the city is doing to end violence against women, and what he sees as the role of men in ending violence.

·         * Rebiya Kadeer – Nobel Peace Prize Nominee (2007) a prominent human rights activist from the Uyghur region of China speaks about violence against women around the world, including her own personal experiences

·         * Susan Singer reads Eve Ensler’s poem “Rising”

Drumming and Dancing Begin

2:00 pm – doors close

The One Billion Rising Pledge: One Billion Rising is the beginning of the new world ignited by a new energy. It is not the end of our struggle but the escalation of it. We are suggesting that everyone who rises make a pledge to do one thing in the next year to end violence against women. Spread the word all over Richmond, and have all of your friends make the pledge! We believe a billion people will rise. Imagine a billion activated pledges. Share your pledge online at The One Billion Rising Pledge >http://onebillionrising.org/page/s/one-billion-rising-pledge

Dancing topless after breast cancer

A friend of mine sent me the link to this beautiful video of a woman who has survived breast cancer dancing topless with a henna tattoo where her breast used to be.  it's lovely.  Thanks, Slash!

http://vimeo.com/16386679

Role models - Bling Lady and Joyful, Joyful models

Being in a body is such a strange thing. All this work I do on body image makes me think, of course, about bodies and health and looks much of the time. I'm also trying to get in shape so I feel good in my body. My darlin' mother is having all kinds of physical issues right now which are probably at least partially related to her not being fond of exercising, so I'm watching that and making a choice to keep myself fit so I can age gracefully and healthfully, if possible.

I'm using as my role models two of my models, older women, who exercise all the time. One of them is now 90-years-old and is still teaching dance.  She dances at least weekly and teaches twice/week, plus does pilates.  She has a great gusto for life and, as far as I can tell, has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.  I would be delighted to be in such good shape at that age!  It's so great to know someone who takes such awesome care of herself and is so fit and powerful.  She definitely defies stereotypes of aging.

My other role model, whom I painted in Bling Lady, is a gorgeous 65-year-old woman who runs marathons and does half Iron Mans. She loves to exercise and gets much joy from expressing herself in her body. She has agreed to be my running coach and is working on helping me get ready for a 5 K race in July. The frustrating thing for me is that since I started running, I've been very sick - twice! I hadn't been sick in years, so this is maddening to me! I don't know if I'm shocking my system by overusing it or what. I'm taking a break this week to try to give myself a chance to fully recover, but I really do want to become at least a moderate runner. I don't aspire to a marathon, but a 5K would be very fun! I'm wondering if I'm sabotaging myself at some level - I've never perceived myself as athletic, and I've never been a runner - am I manifesting old messages by getting sick and making it so I can't get healthy/athletic? What is the deal?

I also have an issue with my left foot - perhaps a bone spur, something like that - it flares up when I run much, though it's actually worse when I walk. Then there's my lower back which has hurt for about a year and a half now. I've done physical therapy and have been keeping up with my exercises, but it's not getting much better. I used to love to dance - it was my JOY and fun and delight! - I can't really do it now, and it pisses me off. I don't know how to get myself into shape and out of pain. I don't want to be in pain the rest of my life, one little thing after another building on the next little thing. It erodes the joy and makes it harder to get out there and exercise.

A few years ago a doctor told me I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which is a condition where connective tissues are loose. There are several levels of it. I guess I might have the least serious of them. Basically it's what makes my joints so flexible (and why I'm good at yoga) and makes me bruise easily. I think it also is responsible for the pain I feel more of the time than not. There's no cure. It just is what it is. Good spiritual practice.

So perhaps one of the reasons I'm so passionate about helping women love their bodies is because I would love to accept my body fully, pain and weirdnesses and aging and all.   

On being different

Many years ago when I was in therapy, my therapist said something to me that really took me aback.  She said, "Well, you know, you're certainly not what most people consider normal!"  Those weren't her exact words, but it was something to that effect.  I asked her what she meant because I had always considered myself normal.  She pointed out my some of my choices - nursing my kids til they were done, attachment parenting, considering homeschooling, living overseas, travelling and speaking several languages, artistic bent, ecologically minded (in the days before green became an advertising slogan), free-spirited. I'd never before considered that I thought or acted differently than the majority of other people in society.  It was so startling to me I didn't know what to do with the information.  I have tucked it away and occasionally bring it out, look at it, ponder it, polish it, wonder at its veracity, recognize the truth of it, shake my head, tuck it away again for next time.  Am I really so odd?

My children think I am - though in a nice way, I think.  They don't know any other kids who've had to grow up with paintings of naked men and pregnant women all over their houses.  They don't have friends whose mothers go away for retreats where they dance all weekend with a bunch of crazy hippie types (it's a wonderful type of dance called Contact Improvisation - I met many of my dearest friends there, including my husband!  The picture is of me (in purple) and a friend dancing - now does that really look crazy??!  I just think it's FUN!).  Most of their friends' parents have "normal" jobs and take normal vacations and have regular art in their houses - framed prints of VanGogh or Wyeth.

It's a little bit uncomfortable sometimes that people perceive me as "different", but mostly I don't mind it.  I have a student whom I tutor who has gotten to know me more personally than most of the kids do.  She'll find out a tidbit about me and shake her head and say, "Ms. Singer, you're the most interesting person I've ever met!"  I'm glad I can broaden her horizons!  I guess I am a bit outside of the bell curve of normal, but I don't think I can do anything about it.  It's who I am.  I would suffocate if I had to try to fit into a mold of societal expectations.  I grew up trying to be "nice" and "perfect".  I performed well and did what was expected of me, but once I got out of the house, I started shifting and grew in new directions that felt better to me.  My plan for the rest of my life is to continue to follow the still small voice within, trying to discern what my inner spirit would have me do in order to express myself most authentically.  Life is too short to try to do anything else!!