Women Building Up.WBU

10/18/2024

10/18/2024

What an amazing Celebration Week we had!

We kicked off the first event (September 21), Moving in Solidarity, as a day of conversation where fellow activists and leaders gathered to discuss what's coming, where we go from here, and to dance! Participants included Soffiyah Elijah, Cathy Albisa, Andrea James, Professor Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, Rob Robinson, Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler, Latonya Crisp, Michael Partis, Professor Richard Wolff, Judy Clark, and WBU board members -- all leaders in the struggle for human dignity.

All photos by Day 1 Pictures, LLC for Women Building Up | Copyright Women Building Up, 2024

09/17/2024

We're so excited to announce one of our esteemed moderators and/or co-facilitators during Celebration Week: Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin! Please learn more about her via her abbreviated bio below:

✨ Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin serves as the Executive Director of Housing Initiatives in the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. She is at the forefront of shaping policies and programs that enhance housing opportunities for 750,000 New Yorkers with histories in the justice system. Her civil service journey commenced in 2015 as the Chief of Housing and Community Activities for the Family Reentry Program at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). She spearheaded the initiative to reunify individuals released from incarceration with their families within NYCHA, the largest housing authority in the nation. The program gained national acclaim from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its exceptional success in family reunification. A staunch advocate for the formerly incarcerated, Yolanda's career has been driven by her commitment to this cause. She is an expert in navigating the path for women affected by the criminal justice system, focusing on leadership and education. Yolanda is a frequent speaker on topics of prison reform, social justice, homelessness, and the unexplored routes to freedom. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to housing and justice, she was honored with the Sloan Public Service Awards in 2023.

09/17/2024

REMINDER: Celebration Week is free and open to the public. Please register for our two events on our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/women-building-up-87723434473

09/17/2024

We're so excited to announce one of our esteemed moderators during Celebration Week: Rob Robinson! Please learn more about him via his very abbreviated bio below:

Rob Robinson is a formerly homeless community organizer and activist in New York City. His work focuses on changing people’s fundamental relationship to land and housing. He works with social movements around the world, including the Movement of People Affected by Dams in Brazil (MAB), the Landless Workers Movement in Brazil (MST), Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa (the Shackdwellers movement), and the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages in Spain (the PAH).

Rob is the USA-Canada Coordinator of the International Alliance of Inhabitants, an alliance of 12,000 members worldwide that supports a Zero Evictions Platform. As a longtime US Human Rights Network member, his work is framed in international human rights law. In the U.S., he works with communities on several social issues including poverty and debt, police violence against the poor, gentrification, and access to broadband.

Robinson is also a regular guest lecturer at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He has lectured at several U.S. law school human rights institutes, including the University of Miami, Northeastern University Massachusetts, University of California at Berkeley, and Harvard. Rob is currently an adjunct professor of Urbanism in the Design and Urban Ecology program at Parsons New School University.

09/17/2024

We're so excited to announce one of our esteemed moderators during Celebration Week: Soffiyah Elijah! Please learn more about her via her very abbreviated bio below:

✨ Soffiyah Elijah is the Executive Director of the Alliance of Families for Justice. Established in 2016 in New York, the mission of the Alliance of Families for Justice (AFJ) is to support families of incarcerated people and people whose lives have been impacted by incarceration, empower them as advocates and mobilize them to marshal their collective power to achieve systemic change.

Prior to founding AFJ, Ms. Elijah was the Executive Director of the Correctional Association of NY where she was the first woman and the first person of color to lead the 170 year old organization. Ms. Elijah has dedicated her life to human rights and social activism, and is a frequent presenter at national and international forums on criminal justice policy, incarceration and human rights issues.

Ms. Elijah was appointed by then-New York Governor Cuomo to co-lead the “Raise the Age” Commission, which was convened to raise the age of criminal responsibility in the state. She was also appointed by then-New York City Mayor DeBlasio to co-lead the subcommittee of the Commission tasked with overhauling the City’s jail system and closing Rikers Island.

Ms. Elijah has represented and/or supported the release efforts of numerous political prisoners including Mumia Abu Jamal, Sundiata Acoli, Marilyn Buck, Jihad Abdul Mumit, Sekou Odinga and The San Francisco 8. In the international arena Ms. Elijah has served as an international election observer in El Salvador and Venezuela. For decades Ms. Elijah served as the legal advisor to the Venceremos Brigade that worked in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution to end the embargo and travel restrictions. Ms. Elijah served on the international people’s tribunal regarding U.S. navy bombings in Vieques Puerto Rico; led the tribunal investigation of the U.S. government’s neglect in the 9th Ward in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; and presented at the International Human Rights Tribunal on the Treatment of U.S. Held Political Prisoners convened in New York City.

Ms. Elijah has received numerous awards, honors, and recognition from grassroots organizations and legal associations locally, nationally, and internationally.

Soffiyah Elijah can be reached at [email protected].