Event Recap - Sistering Up!
A mindset and a commitment to action on the journey to create a gender-equitable world.
“Sistering up is both a mindset and a commitment to action that says I’m going to lean in hard to be present with and support other women. That I’m going to be really mindful of my own privilege, what I bring to the table, and what I’m willing to do for and with others to create a world where we all truly prosper.”
- Jacki Zehner
“Our communities know how to solve problems. They are resilient, they know what’s happening. But without them being at the table to tell us, things are not going to get better, they are going to get worse. And we see that, we saw it at the beginning of the pandemic. We saw the numbers.”
- Ze Min Xiao
“Part of our leadership should also be, to be compassionate to the lived experiences that we are wholly unfamiliar with. So to the women of color who are having to navigate certain dynamics around police violence, or watching individuals who are harmed because of Asian hate. How do we create spaces where we are not just seeing women, we are also seeing the intersections of their identity. ... We don’t just fit in one box and we can’t just check off so that it’s easy to approach, we’ve got to make sure that we are asking people, what do they need to feel loved and seen by us?”
- Nubia Peña
We are so grateful to our partners and event sponsors for your support in creating such a meaningful event! It was our honor to welcome featured speakers Ze Min Xiao and Nubia Peña to speak about their experience of sistering up together, and the emotional, spiritual, and physical connections in our community. In particular, they spoke about the healing power of sistering up during these unprecedented pandemic times. Speaking before an intimate in-person audience, as well as a wide online audience through Run the World (a woman-owned platform), Ze and Nubia moved and inspired us with their stories and their work, bringing forth equal parts laughter and tears.
ACTION STEPS
Invest in and support organizations and businesses from diverse communities.
Engage in personal development that includes learning about bias, privilege, and building community with people different from you.
Honor and acknowledge intersectional identities.
GET INVOLVED IN UTAH
If you are interested in becoming a mentor for system-involved youth, please contact Alexa.hudson@utah.edu at First Star.
Consider volunteering and providing meals at the VOA Homeless Youth Outreach Center.
To learn more about the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, please visit multicultural.utah.gov.
Lastly, consider donating to one of these amazing community organizations working on the frontlines in the state of Utah.
A big thank you to our event sponsor, Rachelle Morris of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Rachelle’s personal connection to the theme of sistering up, as well as her passion for catalyzing change through the power of our collective purses, could not be more in line with our values.
Special thanks to the staff at the Kiln, Method Communications, Byron Russell, Sharon Backurz, Allie Zehner, Laura Moore, Vanessa Di Palma Wright and Erin Cosmano for all of your support in this event.