(Photo above Myrlie Evers-Williams)
Muse Women’s Conference announced that Myrlie Evers-Williams will keynote this year’s conference in Bend. The noted civil rights activist will address sharing our stories of change. Each year the conference brings together local women and teens along with internationally recognized activists to celebrate International Women’s Day and kick-off Women’s History Month. This year’s conference, featuring over 35 visiting and local muses (presenters), is slated for March 6-8.
Amanda Stuermer, World Muse founder, said, “Each year, we feature women and girls who are creating positive social change in a variety of ways – utilizing creativity, mindfulness, and personal activism. This year’s conference will focus on voices, stories, and conversations. We invite our whole community to join us in supporting women and girls as they speak their truth, share their wisdom, and engage us all in open dialogue.”
The three-day conference schedule is jam packed with fantastic offerings, including a Salon Series and First Friday Curated Art Walk Exhibit on Friday; the Conference, Muse Reception and Dinner on Saturday and a Workshop Series with Muse presenters on Sunday. Events take place at The Tower Theatre and other venues in Bend.
Tickets, which can be purchased online now, range in price from $10 for Salon events to $350 for an All-Access Conference Pass.
In addition to the presenters below, Muse announced that Diane Luby Lane, founder of Get Lit, and Marquesha Baber, one of Get Lit’s young spoken word poets – both of whom participated in Women in World – will be presenters at the Tower Theatre and featured in a teen workshop.
A few of the 2015 Muse Presenters include:
Myrlie Evers-Williams worked alongside her husband, Medgar who was a pioneering visionary for civil rights in the 1950s and early 1960s in Mississippi. As the state’s first field secretary of the NAACP, Medgar was one of the most visible leaders in the civil rights movement in America. His assassination on June 12, 1963, galvanized President John F. Kennedy to ask Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill.
In the years following Kennedy’s assassination, she continued the pioneering work they had begun together. An author, lecturer and educator, she was one of the first African American women to run for Congress. In 1995, she was elected chair of the NAACP and helped rebuild and restore the national reputation of that organization. In 1998, she founded the Medgar Evers Institute. In 2013, she gave the inaugural invocation for President Barack Obama.
Lauren Fleshman is an accomplished track and field athlete. She was the U.S. 5000 meter champion in 2006 and 2010 and has competed in the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2003, 2005 and 2011. In the 500 meter final of the 2011 IAAF World Championships, she finished in 7th place, equaling what was at the time the highest ever finish by an American woman in that event.
In 2012 she joined Oiselle, a running apparel company focused on promoting and supporting female athletes. Lauren has a website where she answers questions and addresses issues such as healthy body image and modern day feminism. She is also a regular contributor to Runner’s World and the co-founder of Picky Bars based in Bend.
Lynne Twist has been a recognized global visionary committed to alleviating poverty and hunger and supporting social justice and environmental sustainability. The compelling stories and insights gained from her experiences inspired Lynne to write her best-selling, award-winning book The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life.
Lynne is co-founder of The Pachamama Alliance, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest to preserve their lands and culture. From working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta to the refugee camps in Ethiopia and the threatened rainforests of the Amazon, Lynne’s on-the-ground work has brought her a deep understanding of the social tapestry of the world and the historical landscape of the times we are living in.
Seane Corn is a celebrated yoga teacher and long time activist for social and political change. In 1998, she created a yoga program for Children of the Night, a shelter that houses and educates adolescent prostitutes in Los Angeles. In 2004, she was named International Yoga Ambassador for Youth AIDS.
In 2007, Seane co-founded Off the Mat Into the World (OTM), an organization that bridges the yoga and activism communities to create conscious social change. OTM is proud to have over 50,000 supporters, over 1,300-trained yogi activists, 250 certified leaders, over 60 on-going local seva (service) projects, 25 international seva projects and 75 local community action groups.
Muse Conference, held each year in Bend, is based on the belief that women hold enormous potential as catalysts for change in their lives, in their communities, and in the world. They want to connect, support, and inspire women to begin creating the change they want to see.
www.museconference.org
