Democratic Activists for Women Now

Thank you to Assemblymember Joe Coto and Boardmember Darcie Green for recruiting and sponsoring our newest DAWN members.

• Marta Donayre
• Linda Snook
• Papia Gambelin
• Sonya Casares
• Judy Esquivel
• Mitia Samimi
• Olivia Mendiola
• Ingrid Baccialon
• Ana Maria Lorenzana
• Maria Noel Fernandez
• Mia White
• Aimee Escobar
• Christina Aguirre
• Gina Gates

   Thank you so much for the opportunity to be the president of DAWN.  I am looking forward to carrying on the traditions of DAWN and their activism for women and the betterment of women.  We have a strong group of women and men who believe in all the values of DAWN and what we believe in.  On top of that I would like to bring in a new generation of  activist to our group.

    In this last election we saw so many of our nation’s youth become energized from the intensity of President Obama’s race to the White House.  When I say youth, I am not just referring to the young democrats who generally show this kind of exuberance.  I mean to highlight the unprecedented energy of middle school and high school girls who have a fire in their bellies that I have not witnessed in a long time.  These young women have the same motivation to champion women’s causes, and I cannot think of a more effective way of fostering and nurturing these sentiments than by having DAWN sponsor a mentorship program.  To give these young women the opportunity to shadow our strong DAWN members and to learn from their experiences is to shape a new generation of female advocates to carry on the fight for gender equality in this century.  

    Along with all the continuing work that DAWN has always focused on, I would also like to propose starting high school chapters of DAWN, much like how the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs have service clubs under different names.  These DAWN sponsored clubs will educate young leaders and community activists in the ideals of our organization and spread the message through local events and community service.

     I am looking forward to meeting all of you on Sunday, March 29 at our Quarterly Potluck at SEIU Local 521.  We have much to discuss about the future opportunities of this great and influential organization.

Best,

Noelani Sallings

President, DAWN – Democratic Activist for Women Now

Welcome to the new DAWN Blog.  This blog will keep you up to date on DAWN news, local political news, national news and more.

DAWN is an organization of volunteers who seek to assist in the election and selection of progressive, pro-choice women to elective and appointive office - and of male candidates who support women's issues as well.

Currently DAWN is engaged in helping San Jose City Councilmember Madison Nguyen.  You can help Madison as well by volunteering to either walk or phone bank, check our calendar for the days and times that DAWN members will be gathering to help Madison.

Also, don't forget to mark your calendar with our Potluck, March 29th.  Madison Nguyen will be our guest speaker.  Come to hear her speak and stay for the wonderful dishes that have made some of our members famous.

Keep checking back for more news.

Here is to a great 2009!

   "Change begins here in California and the Democratic Party lights the way. But it must illuminate a path for everyone. I envision a party that recruits and invests in the next generation of Democrats inspired by President Obama, that gives our community leaders the data tools necessary to fight and win 21st century campaigns, and one that's unabashedly focused on the 2010 gubernatorial election."

   My goals are simple and straightforward. We must build on our success by using Internet technology wisely to reach out to new groups, connect our incredibly diverse communities and strengthen our common bonds. We must continue to register young voters, newly naturalized citizens and seniors. We must learn from the Presidential 50 State Strategy and implement our own 58 County Strategy. By ensuring our presence in every county and expanding into red counties, we can help hardworking Democrats win many more state and local seats.

   In the months to come I will be traveling throughout California to listen to and learn from fellow Democrats. I look forward to meeting you and to discussing how we can capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead. Together, we must celebrate the remarkable achievements of the 2008 elections and look ahead to expanding the Democratic Party for generations to come.

   The 56th Presidential Inauguration was truly an event like no other inauguration before it had been. It was attended by over a million people, and was watched and celebrated all over the world. Though this enthusiasm may have been due in part to the departure of the previous administration, there was an undeniable sense of excitement about our new leader. Congressional offices all over the country received a record number of ticket requests, and Americans flocked from everywhere just for the honor of being present in the capitol on the day that Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States. I was lucky enough to be one of these individuals.

   I arrived in Washington D.C. several days before the ceremony, but already the excitement in the city was palpable. Every bar, restaurant, and shop was filled with people, and everyone was discussing the new President: What would his first actions be? What would the ceremony be like? How would the world react? Entrepreneurs set up make-shift stands on every corner, selling Obama clothing, housewares, and accessories. With the temperature outside averaging around 25° during the day, the most popular items were Obama scarfs and beanies, which quickly became the fashion du jour for DC residents and tourists.

   The scarfs and beanies did little to fight the cold though, at least for this California girl. Even with multiple sweaters, a jacket, and several hats gloves, and other accessories to minimize my skin’s exposure to the weather, the cold cut like a knife and made it hard to bear being outside for very long. I spent the days before the ceremony running from the friends house where I stayed to the closest cab or metro stop, and then to the restaurant, shop, or attraction where I was headed, trying to minimize the amount time I spent outside in the cold.

   The day of the ceremony I got up around 5am and bundled myself up in every piece of warm clothing I could find. I walked from my friends’ house on the outskirts of the city to the closest metro station and got in line for the train. Even early in the morning, the trains were already packed. I squeezed on to the first one I could, which was so crowded that I didn’t even need to hold on to anything to keep my balance when it began to move.

   The closest stations to the ceremony were closed for security reasons, so anyone riding on the metro had to get off further out and walk the rest of the way to the National Mall. I pulled out my metro map and tried to figure out where to get off with the guy standing next to me. “We are all going the same place anyway”, he said, laughing and motioning to the hundreds of other passengers. We decided on Judiciary Square, about a mile out from the main gate.

    When the train stopped at our destination the crowd spilled out of the cars and into the station. The streets between out station and the ceremony site had all been shut down for security reasons, and at six in the morning Washington D.C. looked like a ghost town, except for the hundreds of excited people running through the streets towards the Mall.

   When we arrived at the gates the crowd suddenly stopped running. Security seemed to be collecting tickets somewhere up ahead, but nobody could see exactly what was going on, so we all stopped to wait. We seemed to wait there for a long time, and I began to wonder whether or not I would get in before the ceremony started. The crowd was moving very slowly, with tens of thousands of people in the crown creeping through the gate one person at a time.

Finally, around 10:30, I was allowed onto the Mall grounds, and I quickly rushed to find a spot where I could see the stage. Though everyone inside had been standing for several hours by then, and many were struggling not to tremble from the cold, the attitude was cheerful and optimistic. Some of the people around me sang as we waited for the ceremony to begin, and others tried to excite the crowd by periodically initiating chants of “yes we can! Yes we can!”.

   Finally it was time for the ceremony to begin. The million people surrounding me fell almost silent as the blessings were given and Barack Obama took the oath of office, then the crowd broke out into an enormous cheer and everyone began to celebrate. The family in front of me was hugging each other and crying, and two of the people beside me were jumping up and down. I did not really watch President Obama’s inaugural address until several days later, when I pulled it up on YouTube. By the time he began to speak, the crowd was so excited that hardly anyone could pay attention to what he was saying. Everyone was so caught up in the enormity of the moment that the words seemed to get lost, but nobody seemed to mind.

   The energy of that morning continued throughout the city all day. Even the metro stations to leave the ceremony, which had hours-long lines stretching down the street after the inauguration was over, were full of life and enthusiasm, and the balls that night were exhilarating.

   This inauguration was truly like no other in our nation’s history. Though the Democrats did not all agree during the primaries, we, and the rest of the nation, came together in November to elect a Democratic President who supports our values and who will fight to put our country back on track. I am sure that Barack Obama will make us all proud, and I was honored to be there on the day he became the 44th President of the United States.

   In 1973 a group of office workers in Boston got together to talk about issues which had no name, sexual harassment, work/family challenges, and pay equity. From this beginning 9to5 emerged as the national organization dedicated to putting working women’s issues on the public agenda. 9to5’s constituents are low-wage women, women in traditionally female jobs, and those who’ve experienced any form of discrimination. Membership is open to all.

   Our mission is to build a movement to achieve economic justice, by engaging directly affected women to improve working conditions.    

   9to5 is committed to: Winning family-friendly policies to help working people balance responsibilities at home and on the job; Making nonstandard jobs voluntary and equitable so that those who work part-time or as temps receive fair pay and benefits; Eliminating workplace discrimination through educating about legal rights on the job, monitoring enforcement agencies, and expanding anti-discrimination laws; Opposing punitive welfare policies and backing those that allow women to be self sufficient while supporting their families.    

9to5 Fifth Annual Regional

Leadership Conference & Policy Day

CONFERENCE

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2009, 10 AM – 2 PM

African American Community Services Agency

304 N. 6th Street (at Julian),

San Jose, CA 95112

POLICY DAY

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2009, 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Departing SEIU 521 to Sacramento State Capitol

Appointments with local area legislators

10:30PM – 2:30PM

  I, Councilmember Madison Nguyen, appreciate the support of DAWN to defeat a wasteful and unwarranted recall election I am facing on March 3rd.   I appreciate you taking the time to walk with me on February 7th to explain to the residents of District 7 what I have been able to accomplish since 2005 when I became their Councilmember.

  I have made basic quality of life issues and ensuring a voice for all residents of District 7 my priorities as a Councilmember.  In a short time I have been able to see many results because I have worked hard to improve District 7 by working collaboratively with residents and community leaders.  For the past three years, we created over 1,000 jobs, made major street improvements, built over 700 affordable housing units, constructed several new parks, and worked to improve public safety. Yet, there are many things I still hope to accomplish.  We need to continue to make public safety a priority and to engage our residents in combating gangs.  We must ensure that we are spending our scarce City resources on making our community a better place for everyone and not on petty political vendettas.  With your support, I can continue to advocate for affordable housing, economic development, and public safety in District 7. 

   I have the support of all of San José City Councilmembers, Mayor Chuck Reed, Congressmember Mike Honda, San José ’s active and retired Police and Firefighters, and a coalition of community leaders and elected officials—but I cannot defeat this recall without your support. 

   March 3rd is a special election and this is the only item on the ballot.

   That makes it imperative that we ensure our supporters’ vote. Please consider volunteering to help me defeat the recall.   The South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council and the United Democratic Campaign will be hosting regular volunteer hours at 2102 Almaden Road every weekend. 

• Phone Banking - Mon-Thu from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm and Sunday from 3:00 pm - 8:30 pm

• Precinct walking - 9:00 am on Saturday and 11:00 am on Sunday

We especially need your help with GOTV efforts:

• Saturday, Feb. 28 - 9 a.m. precinct walking and 3 p.m.-8:30 p.m. phone banking

• Sunday, March 1 - 11 a.m. precinct walking and 3 p.m.-8:30 p.m. phone banking

• Monday, March 2 - 10 a.m. door hanging and 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. phone banking

• Tuesday, March 3 - 10 a.m.-8 p.m. poll checking and Noon-8 p.m. phone banking

   To volunteer, please email peter@atwork.org or call (408) 266-3790.

     Again, thank you for your support and I look forward to working with you so that we can defeat this recall together.

    It has been an honor to serve as DAWN President for almost 7 years, since March of 2002.  During that time we re-built the club from near-insolvency (after a grand theft of our funds was discovered) into the effective, respected, financially healthy organization it is today.  Many strong female leaders who served on our board have gone on to elective office: among them Pearl Cheng, Margaret Abe-Koga and Buu Thai.  DAWN has been blessed with a wonderful Treasurer, Lee Sturtevant, who is a fountain of institutional knowledge and expertise. I hope to be just like her when I grow up. Willie Wool, founding member and President Emeritus was a wonderful role model and mentor to me, helping me develop my leadership potential and the confidence needed to lead our club. Many more women leaders have served or are currently serving with me on the DAWN board, making it a very influential grassroots organization for Democratic women in our valley.    

    Since its inception in 1993 DAWN has endorsed countless Democratic men and women candidates. We give additional financial support to our endorsed women candidates.  Here are some of our recent accomplishments:

• Partnered with Planned Parenthood Mar Monte locally to successfully fight 3 anti-choice propositions placed on the ballot in the last five years.

• Publicly supported and honored 3 young women who rescued an underage rape victim in what is known as the DeAnza College Rape case (2007).  

• Last year we endorsed our first woman candidate for President of the United Sates. Though we fell short, 2008 was truly a historic year of firsts for women and people of color and I for one am very proud of our country.  

• In ’08 DAWN reached past the boundaries of Santa Clara County to help change a traditionally red Assembly seat blue with the election of Joan Buchanan.

• Started our first mentorship workshop for women interested in running for office. This evolved into a partnership with Assemblymember Joe Coto wherein we created a scholarship program for Democratic women living in Santa Clara County. Our first scholarship recipients who are now attending the Emerge political leadership program are Darcie Green and Papia Gambelin.

• Currently we have thrown our support behind DAWN member San Jose Councilmember Madison Nguyen, who is facing an unjustified recall campaign.  Many of us have already walked precincts or made phone calls to try to dispel some of the half-truths, rumors or outright lies the opposition has spread about this wonderful woman leader.  I challenge all DAWN members make the time to walk, phone, or volunteer in other ways before the March 3rd election and help defeat this misguided, mean-spirited campaign.  

    Noelani Sallings is DAWN’s newly appointed President. Prior to that she served as Vice President in charge of Candidate Endorsements. Noelani is a graduate in Psychology from Santa Clara University. She is working toward her Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Notre Dame de Namur University.  I for one am confident that Noelani will be an excellent leader of DAWN, bringing new vitality and interest to the organization.  Please join me in welcoming Noelani Sallings at our Sunday March 29 potluck brunch, featuring San Jose City Council and DAWN member Madison Nguyen.