Executive Summary Write Out Loud: Transforming lives through writing our truths is a non-profit organization fiscally sponsored by South End Press (The Institue for Social and Cultural Change) serving women who are economically and socially marginalized by engaging them to document their life stories. The program targets residents of the Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods by working with other non- profit agencies to introduce the workshop to their clients. Too often mainstream media ignore or mistranlates the voices and lives of women who are immigrants, poor, or lack certain academic credentials There are other realties outside of the stories documented by big media – Write Out Loud is a space for these voices to be heard and more importantly documented. Women are introduced to the concepts of Writing as Witnessing and are encouraged to “Write it Life it is” Furthermore, women are introduced to other women writers such as Sonia Sanchez, Zora Neale Hurston and Gloria Naylor: Women who took up the pen and wrote the truth of their own experiences. The workshop gives women the ability to bring their life stories in from the margins. By speaking for themselves, they are empowered to live outside the gated community of stereotypes and misleading statistics that may be discouraging to them in their everyday lives. Putting their truths on paper and speaking what they have written aloud is an impetus to change. The goal is to invalidate misconceptions about race, class, and gender by diversifying the media landscape. Write Out Loud also seeks to motivate women to take steps towards grass roots social activism by putting value in their own voices and experiences.
Vision
One day all individuals will have fair and equal representation in mainstream media, be treated with dignity and respect in order to encourage and facilitate fairness and equality in the global distribution of educational resources and wealth.
The mission of Write Out Loud is to diversify the media landscape by introducing the writing of women and those who have been traditionally marginalized by mainstream media because of social and economic factors. By empowering these individuals, we will give them the tools and confidence needed to affect great change in their lives and communities. By exploring the inherent polarity of voice and experience through reading, writing development and work sharing, we will also be preparing individuals to be strong and compassionate community organizers and leaders. The introduction of their collected written works into a larger media forum will also bring attention to the challenges and success experienced by these women and their communities.
Principles
Write Out Loud: Transforming Our Lives through Writing Our Truths operates as a business with a compassionate mission by maintaining integrity in our actions and relationships. We work with non-profits and individuals from diverse cultures throughout and surrounding the city of
v We honor the Christian value of seeking to bring justice and hope to the poor. v We work with non-profit organizations that demonstrate genuine concern and care for their constituent’s welfare. v We provide educational resources and an open, safe opportunity/forum for participants to share their ideas without harsh criticism or judgment. v We build sustainable operations by working with a variety of organizations, presenting at conferences around the country, including a network of organizations with a common identity. v In consideration of the environment, we use resources carefully and value volunteers who work with us in our programs.
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|  Joyce Angela Jellison is Founder and Director of Operations for Write Out Loud:Transforming Our Lives through Writing Our Truths. A former reporter, Ms. Jellison is the author of two books Where Everything Fits Beautifully and Black Apple. Workshops are offered at a nominal fee of $150 (60 minutes) to $200.00 (120 minutes) per day to non-profit organizations and schools within the Boston and Cambridge educational system. WOL also offers a set of fourt two hour workshops at the cost of $800.00 per month. For those organizations looking for a longer program, 8 one hour workshops can be booked for at the cost of 1,600.00. Writing workshops are offered for corporate organizations and individuals at varying rates. Please contact Ms. Jellison for more details. WOL is passionate about serving women and helping them document their narratives to promote social justice, it with this commitment and passion that our organization will never turn away a vendor because of financial circumstances. Please speak to us regarding a payment plan or reduced rate based on your organizational size and circumstances if finances are preventing your organization from booking a workshop. To contact Ms. Jellison about Write Out Loud activities or to book a workshop please call 781 290-9652 or 781 472-9625.
   The SacredSpace 2010 Conference is scheduled for March 27, 2010 - Please submit your proposal to writeoutloudboston@gmail.com - Presenters should focus their presentations on themes of building creative spaces outside of the mainstream media that can hold women of color beautifully in the "now". Ladies creating children book's at ROCA in Chelsea as part of the Fall Programming of WOL! Write Out Loud: Transforming Our Lives through Writing Our Truths also offers writing coaching to individuals who are interested in private sessions with experienced writing professionals. Please contact us for more information.  |
