Dear Supporter ,

I am so excited about this year's National NOW Conference, and with it just a month away I wanted to make sure you'll be joining me, because I know you won't want to miss it! The National Conference is the one time each year when NOW leaders from across the country come together to strategize, network and let off some feminist steam. It's a time when the national officers get to celebrate our grassroots and introduce NOW to new activists.

To start with, it wouldn't be a NOW conference without incredible feminist speakers, and I am happy to say that so far we have 16 confirmed speakers, including Dr. LeRoy Carhart, Susan Douglas, Amy Goodman, Kierra Johnson, and Loretta Ross -- just to name a few. If you keep scrolling down, I've listed our plenary sessions with the titles and speakers.

Behind the scenes we're still hard at work putting the finishing touches on all our amazing workshops. Many of them address topics linked to our theme -- "Loving Our Bodies, Changing the World" -- with others covering a full range of feminist issues. NOW's workshops have always been a way for us to learn from each other, and it is my mission this year to make sure all of the activists who come to our conference, whether they be well-seasoned or brand-new to the movement, take home something constructive with them.

But wait! This year, for the first time ever, we are hosting a wedding. That's right, a wedding -- from the ceremony to the cake and champagne. As you already know, Massachusetts is one of the few states that recognizes the right of same-sex couples to marry, and we are very honored to host the wedding of NOW leaders and longtime partners Shirley and Joan on Friday night.

Believe it or not, that's not everything, but in order to see all of the great fun we've got planned, you're going to have to come to the conference! So, meet me in Boston this Fourth of July weekend, and together we'll make some noise for women's independence.

Yours in Equality,

Terry O'Neill
NOW President

Plenary Schedule: 

Plenary II
"Leading the Way in Women's Health: Honoring Vision, Action and Education"
Loretta Ross, Woman of Vision Award, co-founder and the national coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective
Silvia Henriquez, Woman of Action Award, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
Boston Women's Health Book Collective, Victoria J. Mastrobuono Women's Health Award, creators of Our Bodies, Ourselves

Plenary III
"State of the Women's Movement: Feminism Today and Tomorrow"
Kim Bottomly, president of Wellesley College
Susan Douglas, author of Enlightened Sexism and The Mommy Myth
Amy Goodman, journalist and syndicated columnist, author and the host of Democracy Now!
Carol Moseley Braun, former United States ambassador and senator

Plenary IV
"Lifting Every Voice: Women of Color and Empowerment"
Andrea Cabral, sheriff of Suffolk County, Mass., and the first Black American female sheriff in Massachusetts history
Irasema Garza, president of Legal Momentum, the women's legal defense and education fund

PAC Brown Bag Roundtable
"Run, Vote, Win: Advancing Women's Rights through Electoral Politics"
Adrienne Kimmell, moderator
Lois Herr, congressional candidate running against Rep. Joe Pitts (R) in PA-16
Niki Tsongas, representative of Massachusetts 5th District
Priti Rao, executive director of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus (MWPC)
Sonia Chang-Diaz, first Latina woman elected to the Massachusetts State Senate

Plenary V
"Expand Abortion Access: Envisioning Reproductive Justice for All"
Stephanie Poggi, executive director of the National Network of Abortion Funds
Kierra Johnson, executive director of Choice USA
Dr. LeRoy Carhart, one of the few late-term abortion providers in the United States
Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women