Women Professionals in Oak Park, IL

Spoken-word poet and performing artist Amena Brown will be visiting Call & Response to discuss her latest essay collection! Join us as we celebrate poet, performing artist, and author Amena Brown's new essay collection, Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl! Q&A and book signing to follow discussion. Amena will be joined in conversation by Chicago-based culture writer Taylor Crumpton! An irresistible delight, this hilarious and heartwarming essay collection gathers essential tales about growing up in the South, the pitfalls of date night, and why no one should ever tell a Black girl how to Black Girl. Black women always find a place to meet: in the natural hair aisle, at Beyoncé concerts, even online in memes and catchphrases. This book is one of those places: a living room where readers can contemplate how a well-picked afro can defy the laws of physics and why boob sweat has to exist in the first place. Here, Black Girl is a verb. Here, Black women can Black Girl in every way we want to. Amena Brown’s book Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl blends storytelling, humor, and pop culture commentary to traverse the magic and wisdom she's gleaned from being raised by Southern Black women, and supported by the community of Black women who hold her down today. After graduating from the International Black Girl Headquarters (the renowned HBCU Spelman College), Amena has built a career telling stories and celebrating Black womanhood. In her book, she shares stories of dancing in Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" music video and partnering with Tracee Ellis Ross to compose odes to natural hair. She imparts essential life lessons from the Real Housewives of Atlanta, and tells hair tales, including wisdom on the ideal style for her first speaking gig at Essence Fest (box braids, 100 percent). In the end, Brown shares that Black women are a whole world. A galaxy of customs, language, code, and unspoken understandings, all explored with humor and heart in this unforgettable book. Amena Brown is a spoken-word poet and performing artist whose work interweaves keep-it-real storytelling with humor. She is the author of How to Fix a Broken Record and Breaking Old Rhythms. Her poetry was featured in the New York Times bestselling book Rhythm of Prayer. Brown was featured in Olay’s Face Anything campaign alongside Jennifer Hudson. She was also the poetic partner for PATTERN Beauty, Tracee Ellis Ross’s natural hair care and beauty brand. She lives in Atlanta. Taylor Crumpton is a highly successful music, pop culture, and politics writer primarily focusing on Black culture. Boasting over nine years of experience, Taylor is currently in the drafting process of two books and also holds the prestigious role of columnist for TIME Magazine. Her work has been featured in the nation’s most revered publications such as NPR, ESSENCE, them, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Refinery 29, NYLON, Wall Street Journal, Harper's Bazaar and more. She previously worked as the Arts and Culture editor for D Magazine and frequently appears as a guest commentator, panelist, and speaker in the media and entertainment industries.

A curated shopping experience celebrating Womxn makers, entrepreneurs, and artists! Shop small and support local businesses. Get in on the fun as we spotlight Womxn artists, makers, and small business Xingonas. Swing by and show some love for these incredible women and their handcrafted goodies, and jaw-dropping services. It's going to be a jam-packed afternoon of art, music, mouth-watering treats, wellness vibes, and a whole bunch of surprises you won't want to miss! See you there! Shop from local Womxn-owned businesses, including jewelry, bath and body, home goods, apparel, snacks, and more! Discover & connect with Womxn-owned service providers in the Chicagoland area including, financial services, counseling services, community builders, wellness and more! GET YOUR TICKET NOW! General Admission Ticket: FREE Entry starting at 1pm Kids under 12 are FREE Discover and support women-owned businesses VIP Early Access + Tote + Raffle Early Bird $6 (until March 6) Regular $10 (after March 6) Entry starting at 12pm Kids under 12 are FREE (1) Viva La Mujer Tote Bag for environmentally friendly shopping (1) Raffle ticket for a chance to win amazing products from one of our featured Viva La Mujer Vendors. Raffle prizes are available while supplies last. Important Notes: Check-in at our registration table upon arrival. Once you are checked in at the event, you will receive your tote bag and raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize! If our venue reaches capacity, we will be giving priority entrance to those attendees with a time slot ticket bought online. * Pets are not allowed at this event. See FAQ section.

The CWLU Herstory Website Project was organized to archive and share the history of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union. Using the Internet to tell the history of women's liberation from the ground up, the Chicago Women's Liberation Union (CWLU) Herstory Project documents the role of the CWLU in the movement for women's liberation and social justice of the late 1960s and 1970s. As original members and new friends of the CWLU, we believe that women continue daily to make history and that we need to support each other. We find our lives constantly shaped by our experiences in the CWLU in our friendships and family, at work, on the streets of the city, in our travels and our quest for justice. By sharing our history we hope others are inspired to act today. "Don't mourn, organize," said Mother Jones. We say that a small group of three to five women can make mountains move. That was a lesson of CWLU workgroups in health, education, employment, and gay rights, to name a few. There we created the ideas and actions that helped women liberate each other from oppressive beliefs and old social habits. Our goal is to connect with women today who are becoming conscious feminists. We want to work together to develop women's leadership and improve the safety and quality of women’s lives in the larger struggle for social justice. The purpose of our organization is to document the role of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union (1969-1977) in the movement for women's liberation and social justice of the late 1960's and 1970's. This project is history from the ground up. With the help of other women interested in feminist issues, former CWLU activists are developing a website. Though the CWLU was active just a generation ago, an understanding of its impact on women in Chicago, as well as the national feminist movement of the times, is largely unknown.