As we near the end of Women’s History Month, the titles and themes of two newishchildren’s books on brave and revolutionary women provides inspiration and fodder fora look at the status of gender justice in a non-binary world.
Rev. Marti Keller comes into 2021 with a lengthy involvement in issues impacting the human rights of women identified persons, including being the director of community and government relations for Planned Parenthood in Northern California and 20 years of leadership with the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation. She was given their ministry to Women Award in 2020 in recognition of “her commitment to anti-racism and intersectionality in the approach to women’s issues.” Her roles included heading the Margaret Fuller Awards Panel, presidency of the Board, co-facilitator of the New Prophetic Sisterhood of UU religious professionals, creator of the UUWF sermon award, and affiliated minister.
“Beware the Belittled:A new world view on the old ‘Hell hath no fury’ line”
Paula Larke is a storyteller, motivational speaker, spoken word/vocal innovator, bassist and percussionist. She has used her music, passion, and humor nationally, for over 38 years, to unite, chide, inspire, and restore faith in the human potential for harmony. Her primary work is in community – schools, churches, state fairs, businessmen’s luncheons, workplace employee training – every kind of community gathering allowing her access. Most recently, Paula has been a teaching artist in Eastern Kentucky and Clarkston, GA, adapting her delivery for Appalachian and international refugee audiences. “It has been an enriching experience, seeing through eyes so different from my own” she affirms.
Paula’s CD, “UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY,” produced with activist/percussionist Kim Nimoy, is a performance libretto, designed for use in schools and colleges.
Loretta Ross is a Visiting Associate Professor at Smith College teaching “White Supremacy in the Age of Trump.” She started her career in the women’s movement in the 1970s, working at the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, the National Organization for Women, the National Black Women’s Health Project, the Center for Democratic Renewal (National Anti-Klan Network), the National Center for Human Rights Education, and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Her forthcoming book is Calling In the Calling Out Culture. Her most recent publications are Reproductive Justice: An Introduction and Radical Reproductive Justice.
“What’s really stopping mental health justice progress? A story from the trenches”
Dominic Thomas is a father of three, husband and believer in progress who once served at First E and is also a
professor and consultant. He regularly volunteers in a variety of causes and groups, particularly as a Scout leader. Some of his current work focuses on digitizing the global maritime industry as well as enabling crisis response improvements in mental health scenarios.
Our Fellowship Minister, Rev. Marsha Mitchiner, has served the Congregation for over two decades, since ordination by us, following her study with Lanier Clance. She counsels, connects, and contacts members and friends, and for those who need it, performs the laying-on of hands in her role as a massage therapist. Many of us can vouch for the quality of her work, and appreciate the wisdom, restraint, and compassion she brings to the job of caring for our Congregation.
Marsha speaks once each quarter, and helps smooth the functioning of the Congregation innumerable times in between.
“This is the Moment You Are Created For: Finding Our Political Strength”
Rabbi Joshua Lesser leads the dynamic Congregation Bet Haverim as a place dedicated to celebrating all aspects of Jewish life and creating a spiritual home that balances the needs of a diverse community. He served in the first Teach for America Corps in New Orleans, founded the Rainbow Center, a Jewish response to LGBTQ people and their families. He is the co-editor of the groundbreaking book Torah Queeries: A Weekly Commentary on the Hebrew Bible. He was named one of the 36 most influential rabbis in North America in 2013 and listed as one of the 100 most notable LGBT clergy in America by the Huffington Post. Throughout his tenure at Bet Haverim, Rabbi Lesser has worked with a wide variety of groups and coalitions to build a better community for Atlanta by focusing on building bridges between diverse communities as demonstrated through being a founder and past president of the Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta and serving as the co-chair of Georgians Against Discrimination. Serving as the chair of Reconstructionist movement’s Tikkun Olam Commission, on the board of Georgia Equality and the Chair of the City of Atlanta’s Human Relations Commission, he is dedicated to human rights for all.
Rev. Marti Keller is a self-identified Jewish Unitarian-Universalist, who looks often at the Jewish source of our living tradition for inspiration and aspiration. She co-authored “Jewish Voices in Unitarian Universalism” (Skinner House 2014). She has served on the Board of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. She has served for the past 20 years as both a parish and community minister. Her own grandparents passed through the Golden Door before it was mostly shut tight.
Dr. Jean Heinrich, passionate human being, licensed clinical psychologist, musician, is nourished by existential philosophy in these times. Believing her knowledge of existentialism and the human psyche/mind/body/spirit make her a better musician and her music makes her a better clinician, and, both her knowledge and music make her a healthier/more vital human being, she invites you to join us as she speaks on: “Existentialism: Choice, Change, Courage”.
“100 years of celebration of voting rights for women; Still fighting for voter rights for all”
Pauline Rose Clance, Ph.D.
Pauline Rose Clance, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia where she taught in the Doctoral Clinical Program for 28 years and was the first Senior Faculty Associate for the Task Force for the Advancement of Women. In 2012, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Science from Lynchburg College in Virginia.
She has been in private practice in Clinical Psychology for over 33 years and was a co-founder and faculty member of the Gestalt Institute of Georgia, President of the Southeastern Psychological Association, along with being a national and international speaker.
In 1978 Dr. Suzanne Imes and Dr. Clance wrote an important academic article on the Impostor Phenomenon which continues to gain world-wide attention.
She is one of the Founding and a long-term member of the First Existentialist Congregation. Pauline believes that the First E is needed more now than ever at this time in our country.
“Finding Our Way Back to the Positive Aspects of Black Culture & Heritage”
Dianne Valentin
Dianne
Valentin is the mother of four, grandmother of ten, and has over
thirty years of experience assisting small businesses and nonprofit
organizations with their business needs and working directly within
the community, private industry, and public education sectors. As a
political scientist with training in the areas of international
affairs and national defense, Dianne has used her training and
education when advocating grassroots and progressive issues on
Capitol Hill. She has had issues related articles published in a
major news outlet.
Dianne
is the founder and CEO of the Black Heritage Museum & Cultural
Center, Inc. (BHMACC) Founded in 2005 and established as a nonprofit
organization with federal tax-exempt status in 2006. Whose mission
is to document and preserve Black heritage, culture, and scholarship
and use it to encourage, empower, and uplift current and future
generations through scholarly engagement, art, and artistic
expression, while cultivating critical thought. Our vision is to find
our way back to the positive aspects of Black heritage & culture.
Since
its inception, the BHMACC has help over 3,000 marginalized and
low-income students get into college. It does its work in the areas
of arts, culture, education, social justice, environmental justice
and stewardship.
Dianne
works with national, state, and community nonprofit organizations
providing strategic advice, technical assistance, program
development, community outreach, and community organizing support.
During
her corporate career working for an investment banking and accounting
firm Dianne and her team managed the assets of twenty-six financial
institutions with asset values ranging from $25 million to $10
billion, she managed the staff of asset managers, financial services
and accounting representatives, researched and brought to resolution
federal agency investigations, Congressional Inquiry and FOIA
requests received directly from Congress related to those managed
institutions, developed and initiated uniform training procedures for
the handling of client issues. As a Senior Analyst for a government
agency she was responsible for the analysis of negotiated contracts
to insure commitment integrity and that the negotiated contracts fell
within the guidelines for that financial product.
Dianne
appeared before President Barack Obama’s Blue Ribbon Commission on
America’s Nuclear Future to present her views on nuclear weapons,
nuclear waste, and how they impact environmental and racial
injustice. Dianne acted as editor of a climate report that has been
presented to and accepted by the U.N. and the Pope.
Dianne
is serving as President of the board of directors of a statewide
women-led peace, environmental justice, political empowerment
nonprofit organization, is serving as Chair on a national, women led
United Nations recognized NGO, formerly served as founding President
of an Atlanta based legal advocacy nonprofit supporting girls and
women dealing with sex discrimination and abuses in the education and
workplace settings. Dianne is a former President of the board of
directors of a women’s health center.
Dianne
has been honored with a United Nations’ National Human Rights Award
and a National Grassroots Activist Award by a national organization
comprised of organizations from all over the country.
