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News release

Essence Magazine Honors Patrisse Cullors with ‘Woke Award’ Last Weekend

July 6, 2017
Maternal Health

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Cullors Is a Senior Fellow at MomsRising Dedicated to Addressing the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis in the US
Over the weekend, Patrisse Cullors, a senior fellow at MomsRising, an online and on-the ground multicultural organization of moms and their families with more than a million members in the US, was honored at the 2017 ESSENCE Festival with the ‘Woke Award,’ celebrating her commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement as well as her tireless efforts in bringing justice and equality into conversations across national platforms.
 
In her acceptance speech, Cullors explained:
 
“We are living under an evil government. One that continues to devalue the lives of women, trans folk, black peoples, disabled people- those of us at the margins. This award is for all of us who are fighting for health care, to end over policing and mass incarceration, to making sure Black women have the healthiest birth outcomes. Thank you Essence festival for honoring the hard work of Black women!”
 
The ESSENCE Festival brought together influencers in politics, music, entertainment, business, and fashion to the stage throughout the weekend and featured a “Woke Wonderland” theme to bring to light the issues faced by communities of color and how millennial audiences can be empowered to take a stand and play an active role in fighting for what they believe in. After her acceptance of the ‘Woke Award,’ Patrisse spoke on a panel along with members of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and Planned Parenthood to discuss maternal mortality.
 
“There are few people more deserving of ESSENCE’s Woke Award than Patrisse Cullors. Growing up with several of her loved ones experiencing incarceration and brutality at the hands of the State and coming out as a queer at an early age, Patrisse has worked tirelessly promoting law enforcement accountability across the world while focusing on addressing trauma and building on the resilience and health of the communities most affected,” explained Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising. “Whether she’s working to address the Black maternal mortality crisis in the United States—or to raise awareness of police brutality against communities of color—we are honored to have Patrisse as a member of the MomsRising team.”
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT PATRISSE CULLORS HERE: https://www.momsrising.org/blog/users/patrisse-cullors
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.