Rooting in Our Values, Rising in Our Power

What does a room full of caregiving organizers, change agents, and rising leaders look like? It looks like the 16th Annual Meeting hosted by Family Values @ Work in New York City December 5.

Held at the Ford Foundation for Social Justice, the convening brought together 140 people from across the nation to discuss the impact of institutionalized patriarchy, threats to democracy, and devaluation of caregiving; to celebrate our wins and share lessons from the field; and to collaborate on best practices to build a movement for systemic change.

The FV@W team worked hard to create a welcoming space for open dialogue about the transformation inclusive paid leave would bring to this nation, the challenges we face, and the needs of those on the ground. Every aspect of the day showcased leadership from women of color in our movement.

The two key panels of the convening grounded us in theory and in practice. The first welcomed experts to discuss social justice feminism as the only effective way to prevent authoritarianism and create what Tarso Ramos calls “multi-gender, mutli-racial democracy – which is to say, democracy.” As Dr. Rhadika Bhattacharya said, “We need to ask, what is the economy for? What if we put the right to dignity as the purpose of the economy, at the center of how we evaluate the economy?”

The second panel welcomed organizers sharing how the way we do our work – steeping it in our values and building deep relationships – is key to how inclusive our policy wins are and how well they build the movement.

Chocolate Milk Film Screening & Workshop at Family Values @ Work Annual Meeting

Breakout sessions included diverse conversations on everything from Black mothers breastfeeding (with special guest Elizabeth Gray Bayne, creator of the documentary “Chocolate Milk”), to voter engagement and ways to sharpen the paid leave narrative.

The Summit also announced the transition of Wendy Chun-Hoon to solo director of FV@W. Previously co-director with founder Ellen Bravo, Wendy will take the reins in January while Ellen moves to a half-time strategic advisor role. The conference ended with the FV@W staff presenting Wendy and Ellen with commemorative artwork thanking them for their strategic work and vision. In a meeting of state leads the day before, delegates acknowledged Ellen’s years of leadership by presenting her with leis, thank you cards, and personal testimonials.

With so many forces working against the movement to secure paid leave for all, the annual meeting was a breath of fresh air for those leading the work to change the reality for millions of workers across the country. Those who attended left inspired and better equipped to continue the fight, and lift up others along the way.