Our Women's Group, created in 1976 by women who envisioned a space and forum for defining feminisms emanating from their personal experiences and journeys, continues to meet Sunday weekly from 10:45 am - 12:30 pm in the Sojourner Truth room. Our Women's Group celebrates and values the continuing generosity, affirmation and community of the congregants of First Church. The Houston Chronicle recently profiled the history of the Women's Group and First Church was noted as our incubator for the past 26 years. Our Sunday attendance varies from 20 to 30 women depending on the subject, and we request no monies from the church budget. Our annual pledge is $2,500 and we recently retired our capital fund pledge.

We are committed to diversity in all of our activities and to expanding our global awareness of women and feminism through concrete actions. Such commitment to discuss important issues includes a monthly First Sundays Film series, coordinated by Angela Williamston, activist, poet, and producer with Independent Television Series (ITS). Our vision of mutual empowerment extends into community as we nurture and support Rae's Place, a coffeehouse and poetry spot in the developing 3rd Ward, which fosters arts, poets and entertainment.

A motif of topics explored in the past year includes but is not limited to:

Ada Edwards - City Councilwoman District D and other community activists.

Affordable housing for women and children at the Allen Parkway project, Njeri Shakur

Shannon Buggs - Financial Journalist, Houston Chronicle , "Taking Charge of Our Financial Journey".

Corporations and Islamic Women - Farnoush Safavi, a Middle Eastern American woman, discussed a historical pattern of corporations benefiting from Islamic fundamentalism and the oppression of women.

Sex and the Written Word: Erotica as a Means of Enhancing Your Life - Martina Cartwright

Dr. Margaret Price - Bioterrorism: What We Should Know

Nickled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting Along in America - Trish Cunningham reviewed Barbara Ehrenreich's timely inquiry into low-income wages.

Women and Judaism - Maida Asoftsky, Temple Emanuel

Our Women's Group continues to develop and support our member activists who impact the greater community with their time, money and vision. Three are empowering women with weekly radio programs at KPFT (88.7 FM): Bernadine Williams with "First Sex", Teresa Kolo with "Women Making Time" and Lilian Care, founder of Women Against Global Trafficking (WAGT), with "A Birdseye View". Lucy Watson is the new president of the Lesbian Health Initiative (LHI) and on the board of AssisstHers. Pat Tiller is the coordinator of The Women's Group membership directory.

The Women's Group's continued vision is to provide a forum for feminist inquiry and incubation for personal activisms and celebrations of our feminist community.

Iris Greer Sizemore and Laura Reich
Co-facilitators
The Women's Group

Home