Tweet-cap: Our Inaugural #CommunityCaucus

Photo by Erica Pallo

*For more information on panel topics and partners, please click on the hyperlinks.

On Thurs. Feb. 9, #bossbabesATX hosted its first Community Caucus, a biannual gathering for thought leaders, activists and nonprofits. With topics ranging from sustainable consumerism to appropriation and intergenerational sexism, the night was characterized with an invigorating intellectual energy centered around the intersections of seemingly distinct community interests and issues.

More than 250 people joined us to hear 60+ speakers over the course of nine panels and three talks. (PS: Our hashtag for the evening was #bebetter17.)

We began the event with a focus-centered guided meditation by Bea Love Yoga.

Then, we launched into our topics for the evening.

Click here for panelist info on Sustainable Consumerism. Top tweets:

We need to talk about farm to closet like we talk about farm to table. Fashion is the 6th most polluting industry in the world. #bebetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

ThreadUp is an e-commerce site to help you find ethically made clothing. Remember! Making your closet ethical is a slow climb #bebetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Ask questions about where your clothes come from. Look for red flags. Are they avoiding you? What does their about section say? #bebetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Kasi Martin of @PeahenBlog suggests we check out Project jJst because they investigate brands and rate fashion on how ethical it is.

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for panelist info on Vote With Your Fork. Top tweets:

"If you really want appreciate that carrot you ate, go work on a farm." Carolina Mueller of Joe's Organics. #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

It's not enough to just vote by choosing organic. You need to understand the process & what happens beyond you (with waste). #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"We need to be eating a wide array of foods that help farmers take care of their land." Lauren Nelson of @SlowFoodAustin #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

If you can lessen convenience for yourself, you'll find yourself much closer to your food system. Lorig Hawkins @UrbanRootsATX #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"There has never been a convenient revolution" @FarmshareATX "Vote with Your Fork" #CommunityCaucus @bossbabesatx pic.twitter.com/ZwNqYYTuYQ

— Sae Stark (@PhotoGrayImages) February 10, 2017

Click here for panelist info on Cultural Appropriation and the Ties to Colonialism and Capitalism. Top tweets:

Cultural appropriation is the exploitation and colonialism of marginalized communities. #bebetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

There's an edginess attached to cultural appropriation. White folks "breaking boundaries". (I.e.Madonna "voguing") #bebetter17 pic.twitter.com/ltuGi79flu

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Cultural Appropriation is not the same as assimilation. One is abt survival while the other is about exploitation"-Jesse Silva #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Assimilation is the removal of identity because of acceptability politics - Skyller Walkes #bebetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Dr. Benn's advice: "be willing to be uncomfortable. Examine your shit. What are the power and provledge dynamics that live in your reality?"

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Question asked: how can one call out cultural appropriation among friends? Dr. Benn says "interupt-in ways that are appropriate to you"

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for panelist info on Gender Equity in the Workplace. Top tweets:

Women can't be both likable and competent -- being too much of one means you are perceived as less of the other. @clairetmorris #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Let's rebrand "Resting Bitch Face" as "Resting Badass Face." @Nerdette (We're down.) #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Only 3% of VC goes to women-funded companies right now." Huge obstacle is negotiations & fundraising. @DivIncATX #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Collaborative negotiation tends to be a method and technique that women can use that is about consensus building." @nerdette

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Babcock's study found that only 7% of female students negotiated their first salary vs. 57% of male students. #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Women wait until all of the boxes are checked" before asking for more compensation. Men don't. @clairetmorris #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"All we can do is persist. All we can do is keep showing up... keep being in their face." @memary #BeBetter #ShePersisted

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Friendship is freaking powerful and very disruptive... that can be a very real way of squashing the gaslight." @nerdette #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Going to organizations that support diversity and sharing job postings helps diversify inbound applicants. @clairetmorris #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for panelist info on Intra- and Intergenerational Transversal Sexism. Top tweets:

Appreciative of speakers that inspire us and push us to grow at @bossbabesatx Community Caucus! #bebetter17 pic.twitter.com/0I8pfhsiJR

— GEN (@Girls_EN) February 10, 2017

Q from Laura Gomez-Horton, Clinical Director of YWCA: How do you feel that your particular generation has experienced sexism? #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Barbara was the first woman in her extended family to go to college. "Girls" went to college to get an MRS degree. #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

I can see how far we've come. I know what it was like before abortion was legal. And I know what it was like after. #BeBetter17 pic.twitter.com/1V1siGLvO6

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Sexism is so complicated bc we assume we're dealing with gender between men and women, but sometimes we're dealing with ourselves."

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Lobbyist Farrah Muscadin says her best advice is to just be who you are (in the face of pressures to be what a woman should be). #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for panelist info on Understanding Pro-Choice Policy and Resisting TRAP Legislation. Top tweets:

@bossbabesatx panel: Understanding Pro-Choice Policy and Resisting TRAP legislation #bebetter17 pic.twitter.com/txgOV7vGP0

— Erin Wike (@eebell) February 10, 2017

2011 was a pivotal year for reproductive rights and health care practice....there was so much devastation that year. - Alexa G. of @naraltx

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Some barriers for abortion access are: # of clinics, financial impact, scientifically inaccurate info given to women (it's state mandated)

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Y'all there's scientifically inaccurate information that Texas forces women to hear...let that sink in #bebetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Women in the rio grande valley have to make difficult choices like: do I pay my electricity bill or do I pay for my abortion? - @ncardenastx

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

There's cultural barriers surrounding abortion. There's narratives that the opposition tell to stigmatize abortion - Alexa of @naraltx

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"What's changed [after this election] is the language... not being able to literally have this conversation is very real." #communitycaucus pic.twitter.com/PcPnwJfFH9

— Vicky Pridgen (@vickypridgen) February 10, 2017

"When we say we want abortion access-what does that really mean for us?Do we want that or are we waiting for it to come to us?"-@ncardenastx

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for panelist info on Empowering Our Youth. Top tweets:

So awesome to have @Girls_EN here at our Empowering Our Youth panel! #bebetter17 pic.twitter.com/7ctlxhaaTC

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Everything starts in the home. Family, community, school, digital media--all these things impact kids but everything starts in the home."

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"We're teaching kids how to be empathetic to each other because we know it makes them empathetic adults."

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

.@Latinitas was formed to make positive Latina role models. They realized there weren't any for kids growing up. #bebetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"We can count with our fingers how many wide and accurate portrayals we have of brown women." - Laura, co founder of @Latinitas

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Kay of @thewantabess stresses it's important for us as leaders to be inclusive of all different walks of life 💕 #empoweringyouth #bebetter17 pic.twitter.com/ZZYwCwEPpL

— Vicky Pridgen (@vickypridgen) February 10, 2017

Click here for panelist info on Don't Just Start Something, Join Something. Top tweets:

"Very few social issues are fixed with a one and done attitude. You really have to be in it for the long haul." Andy Miller of @AnyBabyCan

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

What we really need are people w/ relationships w/ people in the legislature, who live in certain zip codes, who are constituents. A. Miller

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Maggie Jo Buchanan @YoungInvincible recommends Indivisible guide to explain the importance of "annoying the hell" out of your legislators.

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

When non-profits go to legislators, they go armed with stories. @GivingCity #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Stories are what the press is going to cover. And legislators will keep getting hammered by that. Maggie Jo Buchanan @YoungInvincible

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

All of the non-profits Andy Miller of @AnyBabyCan has worked for, were started because of a story. #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

How do you go from being a reactive donor to being more thoughtful about what you do? @givingcity #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

When you keep going even when it gets hard, THAT'S when you're making a difference. @givingcity #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Millennials are really good at social media so go after legislators. We are really good at not being quiet - use it. @YoungInvincible

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for speaker info on the Intersections of Social Action and Art. Top tweets:

Panel discussion on the intersection of art and activism. One of our last panels of the night, closing our strong! pic.twitter.com/Ae3GqU8kE4

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"Artists literally run this city."

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"There's always this question of 'Are these stories really hitting anybody?'" -Evelyn Ngugi of Austin While Black

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"It's about not saying no. Email your heroes if they're living. Subject line: 'A Shot in the Dark'" -Murphy Carter #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Social action and art don't have to be separate. Let your work reflect in your art and your art reflect in your work. #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Miriam Conner emphasizes the importance of meeting local artists, and having difficult conversations. #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for speaker info on Accepting Individual Responsibility by Counter-Balance ATX. Top tweets:

"Advocacy is a verb, not a noun. You have to do something." Fatima Mann of @BalanceATX #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"You. Are. The resource." Fatima Mann of @BalanceATX #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

How do you make a difference? Well, what are you good at? Fatima Mann of @BalanceATX #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"The point is, bring the resources to the heart of the community so the heart of the community can beat again." Fatima Mann of @BalanceATX

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Click here for speaker info on Civics 101 by the Austin Eco Network. Top tweets:

"This is the first step. You can't be engaged if you don't know who's representing you." Amy Stansbury of @AustinEcoNet #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Next, follow your representatives on social media and attend a City Council meeting (held every Thursday). Amy Stansbury #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

"You can't participate if you don't know who represents you." Subscribe to @AustinEcoNet's #atxcouncil Twitter list: https://t.co/da3C09D0dV pic.twitter.com/95PxyO9n1d

— Vicky Pridgen (@vickypridgen) February 10, 2017

Amy Stansbury @bossbabesatx speaker, gives the tip of just adding your reps (local to national) to your phone. Easy access. #bebetter17

— Suzy Day (@thesuzyday) February 10, 2017

Click here for speaker info on Stronger Together: Collaboration and Coalition-Building by Deeds Not Words. Top tweets:

"As cliche as it is -- united we stand, divided we fall. It's really true." Alicia Weigel of @_deedsnotwords #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

.@_deedsnotwords is encouraging daily action with their #DeedoftheDay campaign. Head to their feed to check it out. #BeBetter17

— #bossbabesatx (@bossbabesatx) February 10, 2017

Thanks to all who participated, Spiderhouse for hosting us and to everyone who attended. Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback for this event, we'll produce an additional Community Caucus in the fall.

If you're interested in becoming a speaker, curating a panel, contributing to production, sponsoring costs or donating space, please email jane@bossbabes.org.

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